brnia  •  Berkeley 

of 
Keesling,    Jr, 


£p-c^+ 


x*  ^    SV* 

^  "'j 


ALL   THE    FAMILY   SAID    THEY    HAD    NEVER    SEEN 

SO   MUCH  HAPPINESS   IN  THE  SPACE 

OF    THREE     HOURS 


COPYRIGHT,    lSS6,    BY    KATE   DOUGLAS   WIGGIN 

COPYRIGHT,    iSSS,    BY    HOUGHTON,   MIFFLIN   AND   COMPANY 

COPYRIGHT,   1912,    BY   HOUGHTON   MIFFLIN   COMPANY 

ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED 


Published  September  iqi2 


To 

The  Three  Dearest  Children  in  the  World 
BERTHA,  LUCY,  AND  HORATIO 


Prefatory  Letter 

To  my  Dear  First  Book : 

Here  you  are  on  my  desk  again  after  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  in  an  altogether 
new  dress ;  a  much  finer  one  than  you  wore,  long 
ago,  when  you  and  I  began  our  literary  life  to- 
gether. I  was  young  then,  taking  my  first  timid 
steps  into  an  unknown  land,  and  you  were  the 
fragile  staff  on  which  I  leaned.  Now  we  face 
each  other  once  more  at  the  end  of  the  long 
journey.  I  remember  so  well  the  beginning  of 
it!  The  house  was  on  the  top  of  a  " heaven- 
kissing  hill."  On  a  clear  day,  looking  far,  far 
down  and  off,  the  eye  caught  the  blue  glimmer 
of  the  Golden  Gate  and  the  low  green  slopes 
of  the  Marin  shore.  It  was  a  smiling,  glistening 

vii 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

country ;  bathed  in  sunshine,  swept  clean  by 
fresh  winds,  forever  bursting  into  a  tumultuous 
profusion  of  bloom,  on  wayside  or  hillside,  in 
garden  or  hedgerow.  Our  part  of  the  world  was 
making  ready  for  a  green  California  Christmas, 
and  though  many  of  its  familiar  outward  accom- 
paniments were  missing,  the  Spirit  of  the  Star 
wTas  abroad  in  every  heart,  and  some  of  it,  I 
hope,  crept  into  the  book. 

The  room  in  which  I  wrote  was  a  wonderful 
room !  (It  always  is!)  It  was  peopled  with  your 
characters,  all  of  them  more  real  to  my  mind's 
eye  than  I  was  ever  able  to  make  them  seem  on 
paper;  and  the  very  air  of  it  breathed  phrases 
so  melodious  that  my  poor  pen  could  never  frame 
them,  nor  set  down  the  sentences  that  should 
have  flowed  in  beautiful  and  lawful  order  on  the 

page. 

/ 
NOWT,  as  I  write  this  preface,  I  can  see  only 

a  narrow  stream  of  wintry  sky  between  city 
roofs  and  chimneys.  Youth  lies  behind  me,  in 

viii 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

a  golden  haze,  but  the  wonder  is  still  there, 
and  the  afterglow  is  no  less  beautiful  than  the 
dawn  to  the  traveller  who  loves  every  mile  of 
the  road. 

You  have  been  a  good  friend  to  me,  my  book, 
-none  better!  It  was  you  who  " eased  my 
shoulder  from  the  burden,"  you  who  "  delivered 
my  hands  from  making  the  pots.7'  At  the  very 
first,  you  earned  the  wherewithal  to  take  a  group 
of  children  out  of  the  confusion  and  dangers  of 
squalid  streets,  and  transport  them  into  a  place  of 
sunshine,  safety,  and  gladness.  Then  you  took 
my  hand  and  led  me  into  the  bigger,  crowded 
world  where  the  public  lives.  You  brought  me 
all  the  new,  strange  experiences  that  are  so 
thrilling  to  the  neophyte.  The  very  sight  of  your 
familiar  title  brings  them  back  afresh!  —  Proof- 
sheets  in  galleys,  of  which  one  prated  learnedly 
to  one's  awe-stricken  family;  then  the  Thing 
Itself,  in  covers,  and  as  one  opened  them  tremb- 
lingly, in  secret,  there  pounced  from  the  text 

ix 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

some  clumsy  phrase  one  never  noted  before  in 
all  one's  weary  quest  for  errors !  Then  reviews, 
mingling  praise  and  blame;  then  letters  from 
strangers;  then,  years  after,  the  story  smiling 
at  one  cheerily,  pathetically,  gratefully,  from 
patient  rows  of  raised  letters  printed  for  blind 
eyes;  then,  finally,  the  sight  of  It  translated  into 
foreign  tongues. 

You  are  not  a  great  book,  my  dear  first-born ! 
Do  not  think  it,  or  allow  your  head  to  be  turned 
by  the  good  fortune  that  has  waited  upon  you 
ever  since  your  birth.  You  have  really  held  your 
place  longer  than  anyone  could  have  hoped,  for 
you  had  not  a  Dickens  to  enshrine  a  Tiny  Tim 
in  the  amber  of  your  pages  and  so  make  your 
Carol  live  forever!  You  are  only  a  pleasant,  cosy 
little  story  with  a  likable  something  in  you  that 
has  brought  you  readers. 

Would  that  I  had  had  more  art  —  even  at  the 
expense  of  having  had  less  heart — with  which 
to  endow  you,  but  I  gave  you  all  of  both  I  had 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

to  give,  and  one  can  do  no  more.  In  return  you 
have  repaid  me  in  ways  tangible  and  intangible, 
ways  jnost  rare  and  beautiful,  even  to  bringing 
me  friendships  in  strange  lands,  where  people 
have  welcomed  me  for  your  sake.  Then  go,  little 
book,  on  your  second  journey  into  the  world. 
Here  are  my  thanks,  good  comrade,  and  here 
my  blessing!  Hail  and  farewell! 

KATE  DOUGLAS  WIGGIN. 

NEW  YORK,  April,  1912. 


Contents 


I.  A  LITTLE  SNOW  BIRD 1 

II.  DROOPING  WINGS      .       .       .       .       .       .       .  !    .       ,       .13 

III.  THE  BIRD'S  NEST      .        .       . 22 

IV.  "  BIRDS  OF  A  FEATHER  FLOCK  TOGETHER "      .        .        ,31 
V.  SOME  OTHER  BIRDS  ARE  TAUGHT  TO  FLY  .    45 


VI.   "WHEN  THE  PIE  WAS  OPENED, 
THE  BIRDS  BEGAN  TO  SING ! " 


GS 


VII.  THE  BIRDLING  FLIES  AWAY       .        .  .  .86 


Illustrations 


HALF  TITLE i 

THEY  HAD  NEVER  SEEN  SO  MUCH  HAPPINESS  .  Frontispiece 

TITLE-PAGE  .  .  ' \'  '  '  Hi 

CONTENTS  .  .  .  .  .  . xiii 

INITIAL  LETTER 1 

HER  TINY  HANDS  FOREVER  OUTSTRETCHED  IN  GIVING  .  7 

HER  CHEEKS  AND  LIPS  WERE  RED  AS  HOLLY  BERRIES  .  11 

TAILPIECE 12 

INITIAL  LETTER 13 

CAROL  WILL  NEVER  BE  WELL  AGAIN 17 

LOVE  BIRDS  AND  CANARIES  HUNG  IN  THEIR  GOLDEN  CAGES  19 

INITIAL  LETTER 22 

EVERY  SATURDAY  SHE  CHOSE  TEN  BOOKS 25 

TAILPIECE 30 

*~**£Zv&   _ 
XV 


THE  BIRDS7  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


INITIAL  LETTER 31 

PETER  RUGGLES  CAUGHT  HER 35 

ON  THE  ROOF  OF  OUR  CARRIAGE  HOUSE 37 

TAILPIECE 44 

INITIAL  LETTER 45 

.SEWED  'EM  IN  A  ROW  UP  THE  FRONT 48 

KITTY'S  HAIR  WAS  CURLED  IN  THIRTY-FOUR  RINGLETS  .  53 

.SARAH  MAUD  SCRUBBED       .       . 55 

THE  DOOR  OPENED  AND  THEY  STRAGGLED  IN        ...  58 

PETER 64 

TAILPIECE 67 

INITIAL  LETTER 68 

INTERTWINED  WITH  THE  UMBRELLAS  AND  CANES       .        .  72 

THE  RUGGLESES  NEVER  FORGOT  IT 76 

KITTY'S  SMILE  WHEN  SHE  KISSED  HER  DOLL  ....  82 

TAILPIECE 85 

INITIAL  LETTER 86 

THE  BOY  SOPRANO 87 

TAILPIECE                                                                                                       .  91 


The  Birds'  Christmas  Carol 


A   LITTLE   SNOW   BIRD 

T  was  very  early  Christmas 
morning,  and  in  the  stillness 
of  the  dawn,  with  the  soft 
snow  falling  on  the  house- 
tops, a  little  child  was  born 
in  the  Bird  household. 

They  had  intended  to  name 
the  baby  Lucy,  if  it  were  a 
girl;   but  they  had  not  ex- 
pected    her    on    Christmas 
morning,  and  a  real  Christmas  baby  was  not  to  be 
lightly  named ;  the  whole  family  agreed  in  that. 
They  were  consulting  about  it  in  the  nursery. 

1 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

Mr.  Bird  said  that  he  had  assisted  in  naming  the 
three  boys,  and  that  he  should  leave  this  matter 
entirely  to  Mrs.  Bird ;  Donald  wanted  the  child 
called  "  Dorothy, "  after  a  pretty,  curly-haired 
girl  who  sat  next  him  in  school;  Paul  chose 
"  Luella,"  for  Luella  was  the  nurse  who  had  been 
with  him  during  his  whole  babyhood,  up  to  the 
time  of  his  first  trousers,  and  the  name  suggested 
all  sorts  of  comfortable  things.  Uncle  Jack  said 
that  the  first  girl  should  always  be  named  for 
her  mother,  no  matter  how  hideous  the  name 
happened  to  be. 

Grandma  said  that  she  would  prefer  not  to 
take  any  part  in  the  discussion,  and  every- 
body suddenly  remembered  that  Mrs.  Bird  had 
thought  of  naming  the  baby  Lucy,  for  Grandma 
herself ;  and,  while  it  would  be  indelicate  for  her 
to  favor  that  name,  it  would  be  against  human 
nature  to  suggest  any  other,  under  the  circum- 
stances. 

Hugh,  the  hitherto  baby,  if  that  is  a  pos- 

9: 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

sible  term,  sat  in  one  corner  and  said  nothing 
about  names,  feeling,  in  some  mysterious  way, 
that  his  nose  was  out  of  joint ;  for  there  was  a 
newer  baby  now,  a  possibility  he  had  never  taken 
into  consideration;  and  the  first  girl,  too, — a  still 
higher  development  of  treason,  which  made  him 
actually  green  with  jealousy. 

However  it  was  too  profound  a  subject  to  be 
settled  then  and  there,  on  the  spot;  besides, 
mother  had  not  been  asked,  and  everybody  felt 
it  rather  absurd,  after  all,  to  forestall  a  decree 
that  was  certain  to  be  absolutely  wise,  just,  and 
perfect. 

The  reason  that  the  subject  had  been  brought 
up  at  all  so  early  in  the  day  lay  in  the  fact  that 
Mrs.  Bird  never  allowed  her  babies  to  go  over 
night  unnamed.  She  was  a  person  of  so  great 
decision  of  character  that  she  would  have 
blushed  at  such  a  thing ;  she  said  that  to  let 
blessed  babies  go  dangling  and  dawdling  about 
without  names,  for  months  and  months,  was 

3 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  C 


enough  to  ruin  them  for  life.  She  also  said  that 
if  one  could  not  make  up  one's  mind  in  twenty- 
four  hours  it  was  a  sign  that  -  -  but  I  will  not 
repeat  the  rest,  as  it  might  prejudice  you 
against  the  most  charming  woman  in  the 
world. 

So  Donald  took  his  new  velocipede  and  went 
out  to  ride  up  and  down  the  stone  pavement 
and  notch  the  shins  of  innocent  people  as  they 
passed  by,  while  Paul  spun  his  musical  top  on 
the  front  steps. 

But  Hugh  refused  to  leave  the  scene  of 
action.  He  seated  himself  on  the  top  stair 
in  the  hall,  banged  his  head  against  the  rail- 
ing a  few  times,  just  by  way  of  uncorking 
the  vials  of  his  wrath,  and  then  subsided  into 
gloomy  silence,  waiting  to  declare  war  if  another 
first  girl  baby  was  thrust  upon  a  family  already 
surfeited  with  that  unnecessary  article. 

Meanwhile  dear  Mrs.  Bird  lay  in  her  room, 
weak,  but  safe  and  happy,  with  her  sweet  girl 

4 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

baby  by  her  side  and  the  heaven  of  motherhood 
opening  again  before  her.  Nurse  was  making 
gruel  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  room  was  dim  and 
quiet.  There  was  a  cheerful  open  fire  in  the 
grate,  but  though  the  shutters  were  closed, 
the  side  windows  that  looked  out  on  the 
Church  of  Our  Saviour,  next  door,  were  a  little 
open. 

Suddenly  a  sound  of  music  poured  out  into 
the  bright  air  and  drifted  into  the  chamber.  It 
was  the  boy  choir  singing  Christmas  anthems. 
Higher  and  higher  rose  the  clear,  fresh  voices, 
full  of  hope  and  cheer,  as  children's  voices  al- 
ways are.  Fuller  and  fuller  grew  the  burst  of 
melody  as  one  glad  strain  fell  upon  another  in 
joyful  harmony :  - 

"  Carol,  brothers,  carol, 

Carol  joyfully, 
Carol  the  good  tidings, 

Carol  merrily ! 
And  pray  a  gladsome  Christmas 

For  all  your  fellow-men : 

5 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

Carol,  brothers,  carol, 
Christmas  Day  again." 

One  verse  followed  another,  always  with  the 
same  sweet  refrain :  - 

"  And  pray  a  gladsome  Christinas 

For  all  your  fellow-men  : 
Carol,  brothers,  carol, 
Christmas  Day  again." 

Mrs.  Bird  thought,  as  the  music  floated  in 
upon  her  gentle  sleep,  that  she  had  slipped  into 
heaven  with  her  new  baby,  and  that  the  angels 
were  bidding  them  welcome.  But  the  tiny  bun- 
dle by  her  side  stirred  a  little,  and  though  it  was 
scarcely  more  than  the  ruffling  of  a  feather,  she 
awoke ;  for  the  mother-ear  is  so  near  the  heart 
that  it  can  hear  the  faintest  whisper  of  a  child. 

She  opened  her  eyes  and  drew  the  baby  closer. 
It  looked  like  a  rose  dipped  in  milk,  she  thought, 
this  pink  and  white  blossom  of  girlhood;  or  like 
a  pink  cherub,  with  its  halo  of  pale  yellow  hair, 
finer  than  floss  silk. 

6 


HER    TINY    HANDS    FOREVER    OUTSTRETCHED 

IN  GIVING.    SUCH  A  GENEROUS  LITTLE 

CREATURE  YOU   NEVER   SAW 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  Carol,  brothers,  carol, 

Carol  joyfully, 
Carol  the  good  tidings,' 
Carol  merrily  !  " 


The  voices  were  brimming  over  with  joy. 

"Why,  my  baby,"  whispered  Mrs.  Bird  in 
soft  surprise,  "I  had  forgotten  what  day  it 
was.  You  are  a  little  Christmas  child,  and  we 
will  name  you  '  Carol  '  -  mother's  Christmas 
Carol!" 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Mr.  Bird,  coming  in 
softly  and  closing  the  door  behind  him. 

"Why,  Donald,  don't  you  think  'Carol'  is  a 
charming  name  for  a  Christmas  baby  ?  It  came 
to  me  just  a  moment  ago  in  the  singing,  as  I  was 
lying  here  half  asleep  and  half  awake." 

"I  think  it  is  a  delightful  name,  dear,  and 
sounds  just  like  you,  and  I  hope  that,  being  a 
girl,  this  baby  has  some  chance  of  being  as 
lovely  as  her  mother  ;  '!  -  at  which  speech  from 
the  baby's  father,  Mrs.  Bird,  though  she  was  as 

9 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

weak  and  tired  as  she  could  be,  blushed  with 
happiness. 

And  so  Carol  came  by  her  name. 

Of  course,  it  was  thought  foolish  by  many 
people,  though  Uncle  Jack  declared  laughingly 
that  it  was  very  strange  if  a  whole  family  of 
Birds  could  not  be  indulged  in  a  single  Carol ; 
and  Grandma,  who  adored  the  child,  thought 
the  name  much  prettier  than  Lucy,  but  was 
glad  that  people  would  probably  think  it  short 
for  Caroline,  and  so  the  family  would  not  be 
criticised  as  being  over-romantic. 

Perhaps  because  she  was  born  in  holiday 
time,  Carol  was  a  very  happy  baby.  Of  course, 
she  was  too  tiny  to  understand  the  joy  of 
Christmas-tide,  but  people  say  there  is  every- 
thing in  a  good  beginning,  and  she  may  have 
breathed  in  unconsciously  the  fragrance  of  ever- 
greens and  holiday  dinners,  while  the  peals  of 
sleigh-bells  and  the  laughter  of  happy  children 
may  have  fallen  upon  her  baby  ears  and  wak- 

10 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


ened  in  them  a  glad  surprise  at  the  merry  world 
she  had  come  to  live  in. 

Her  cheeks  and  lips  were  as  red  as  holly- 
berries  ;  her  hair  was  for  all  the  world  the  color 
of  a  Christmas  candle-flame;  her  eyes  were 
bright  as  stars  ;  her  laugh  like  a  chime  of  Christ- 

11 


*'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL, 


mas-bells,  and  her  tiny  hands  forever  out- 
stretched in  giving. 

Such  a  generous  little  creature  you  never  saw ! 
A  spoonful  of  bread  and  milk  had  always  to  be 
taken  by  mother  or  nurse  before  Carol  could 
enjoy  her  supper ;  whatever  bit  of  cake  or  sweet- 
meat found  its  way  into  her  pretty  fingers  was 
straightway  broken  in  half  to  be  shared  with 
Donald,  Paul,  or  Hugh ;  and  when  they  made  be- 
lieve nibble  the  morsel  with  affected  enjoyment, 
she  would  clap  her  hands  and  crow  with  delight. 

"  Why  does  she  do  it  ?  "  asked  Donald  thought- 
fully. "  None  of  us  boys  ever  did." 

"I  hardly  know,"  said  Mother  Bird,  catching 
her  darling  to  her  heart,  "except  that  she  is  a 
little  Christmas  child,  and  so  she  has  a  tiny  share 
of  the  blessedest  birthday  the  world  ever  knew! " 


II 


.1" 


DROOPING   WINGS 

T  was  December,  ten  years 
...     later. 

Carol  had  seen  nine 
Christmas  trees  lighted 
on  her  birthdays,  one 
after  another ;  nine 
times  she  had  assisted 
in  the  holiday  festivi- 
ties of  the  household, 

though  in  her  babyhood  her  share  of  the  gaye- 
ties  was  somewhat  limited. 

For  five  years,  certainly,  she  had  hidden  pre- 
sents for  father  and  mother  in  their  own  bureau 
drawers,  and  harbored  a  number  of  secrets  suf- 
ficiently large  to  burst  a  baby  brain,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  relief  gained  by  whispering  them 

13 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

all  to  her  mother,  at  night  when  she  was  in  her 
crib,  a  proceeding  which  did  not  in  the  least  les- 
sen the  value  of  a  secret  in  her  innocent  mind. 

For  five  years  she  had  heard  "  'T  was  the  night 
before  Christmas,"  and  hung  up  a  scarlet  stock- 
ing many  sizes  too  large  for  her,  and  pinned  a 
sprig  of  holly  on  her  little  white  nightgown,  to 
show  Santa  Glaus  that  she  was  a  "  truly  "  Christ- 
mas child,  and  dreamed  of  fur-coated  saints  and 
toy-packs  and  reindeer,  and  wished  everybody 
a  "  Merry  Christmas"  before  it  was  light  in  the 
morning,  and  lent  every  one  of  her  new  toys  to 
the  neighbors'  children  before  noon,  and  eaten 
turkey  and  plum-pudding,  and  gone  to  bed  at 
night  in  a  trance  of  happiness  at  the  day's 
pleasures. 

Donald  was  away  at  college  now.  Paul  and 
Hugh  were  great  manly  fellows,  taller  than  their 
mother.  Father  Bird  had  gray  hairs  in  his  whisk- 
ers ;  and  Grandma,  God  bless  her,  had  been  four 
Christmases  in  heaven. 

14 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

But  Christmas  in  the  Birds'  Nest  was  scarcely 
as  merry  now  as  it  used  to  be  in  the  bygone 
years,  for  the  little  child,  who  once  brought  such 
an  added  blessing  to  the  day,  lay  month  after 
month  a  patient,  helpless  invalid,  in  the  room 
where  she  was  born.  She  had  never  been  very 
strong  in  body,  and  it  was  with  a  pang  of  terror 
that  her  mother  and  father  noticed,  soon  after 
she  was  live  years  old,  that  she  began  to  limp, 
ever  so  slightly ;  to  complain  too  often  of  weari- 
ness, and  to  nestle  close  to  her  mother,  saying 
she  "would  rather  not  go  out  to  play,  please." 
The  illness  was  slight  at  first,  and  hope  was  al- 
ways stirring  in  Mrs.  Bird's  heart.  "  Carol  would 
feel  stronger  in  the  summer-time";  or,  "She 
would  be  better  when  she  had  spent  a  year  in  the 
country"  ;  or,  "  She  would  outgrow  it ";  or,  "They 
would  try  a  new^  physician";  but  by  and  by  it 
came  to  be  all  too  sure  that  no  physician  save 
One  could  make  Carol  strong  again,  and  that  no 
' '  summer-time ' '  nor ' '  country  air, ' '  unless  it  were 

15 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

the  everlasting  summer- time  in  a  heavenly  coun- 
try, could  bring  back  the  little  girl  to  health. 

The  cheeks  and  lips  that  were  once  as  red  as 
holly-berries  faded  to  faint  pink;  the  star-like 
eyes  grew  softer,  for  they  often  gleamed  through 
tears ;  and  the  gay  child-laugh,  that  had  been 
like  a  chime  of  Christmas  bells,  gave  place  to  a 
smile  so  lovely,  so  touching,  so  tender  and  pa- 
tient, that  it  tilled  every  corner  of  the  house 
with  a  gentle  radiance  that  might  have  come 
from  the  face  of  the  Christ-child  himself. 

Love  could  do  nothing;  and  when  we  have 
said  that  we  have  said  all,  for  it  is  stronger 
than  anything  else  in  the  whole  wide  world.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bird  were  talking  it  over  one  evening, 
when  all  the  children  were  asleep.  A  famous 
physician  had  visited  them  that  day,  and  told 
them  that  some  time,  it  might  be  in  one  year,  it 
might  be  in  more,  Carol  would  slip  quietly  off 
into  the  heaven  from  whence  she  came. 

"It  is  no  use  to  close  our  eyes  to  it  any 

16 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


longer,77  said  Mr.  Bird,  as  he  paced  up  and  down 
the  library  floor;  "Carol  will  never  be  well 
again.  It  seems  a  burden  too  heavy  to  be  borne 
to  think  of  that  loveliest  child  doomed  to  lie 


there  day  after  day,  and,  what  is  still  more,  to 
suffer  pain  that  we  are  helpless  to  keep  away 
from  her.  Merry  Christmas,  indeed ;  it  is  get- 
ting to  be  the  saddest  day  in  the  year! "  and 

17 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

poor  Mr.  Bird  sank  into  a  chair  by  the  table, 
and  buried  his  face  in  his  hands  to  keep  his  wife 
from  seeing  the  tears  that  would  come  in  spite 
of  all  efforts. 

"But,  Donald,  dear/7  said  Mrs.  Bird,  with 
trembling  voice,  "Christinas  Day  may  not  be 
so  merry  with  us  as  it  used,  but  it  is  very 
happy,  and  that  is  better,  and  very  blessed,  and 
that  is  better  yet.  I  suffer  chiefly  for  Carol's 
sake,  but  I  have  almost  given  up  being  sorrow- 
ful for  my  own.  I  am  too  happy  in  the  child, 
and  I  see  too  clearly  what  she  has  done  for  us 
and  the  other  children.  Donald  and  Paul  and 
Hugh  were  three  strong,  willful,  boisterous  boys, 
but  now  you  seldom  see  such  tenderness,  devo- 
tion, thought  for  others,  and  self-denial,  in  lads 
of  their  years.  A  quarrel  or  a  hot  word  is  almost 
unknown  in  this  house,  and  why?  Carol  would 
hear  it,  and  it  would  distress  her,  she  is  so  full 
of  love  and  goodness.  The  boys  study  with  all 
their  might  and  main.  Why?  Partly,  at  least, 

18 


LOVE    BIRDS    AND    CANARIES    HUNG   IN 

THEIR    GOLDEN    CAGES    AT 

THE    WINDOWS 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

because  they  like  to  teach  Carol,  and  amuse  her 
by  telling  her  what  they  read.  When  the  seam- 
stress comes,  she  likes  to  sew  in  Miss  Carol's 
room,  because  there  she  forgets  her  own  troubles, 
which,  Heaven  knows,  are  sore  enough !  And 
as  for  me,  Donald,  I  am  a  better  woman  every 
day  for  Carol's  sake ;  I  have  to  be  her  eyes,  ears, 
feet,  hands,  -  -  her  strength,  her  hope ;  and  she, 
my  own  little  child,  is  my  example!  " 

"I  was  wrong,  dearest."  said  Mr.  Bird  more 
cheerfully;  uwe  will  try  not  to  repine,  but  to 
rejoice  instead,  that  we  have  an  '  angel  of  the 


house.' 


"  And  as  for  her  future,"  Mrs.  Bird  went  on, 
"  I  think  we  need  not  be  over-anxious.  I  feel 
as  if  she  did  not  belong  altogether  to  us,  but 
that  when  she  has  done  what  God  sent  her  for 
He  will  take  her  back  to  Himself  -  -  and  it  may 
not  be  very  long!"  Here  it  was  the  mother's 
turn  to  break  down,  and  the  father's  to  com- 
fort her. 


Ill 


THE   BIRD'S   NEST 

AROL  herself  knew  nothing  of 
motherly  tears  and  fatherly 
anxieties;     she     lived     on 
peacefully    in     the     room 
where  she  was  born. 

But  you  never  would 
have  known  that  room ;  for 
Mr.  Bird  had  a  great  deal 
of  money,  and  though  he 
felt  sometimes  as  if  he  wanted  to  throw  it  all 
into  the  sea,  since  it  could  not  buy  a  strong 
body  for  his  little  girl,  yet  he  was  glad  to  make 
the  place  she  lived  in  just  as  beautiful  as  it 
oould  be. 

The  room  had  been  extended  by  the  building 
of  a  large  addition  that  hung  out  over  the  gar- 

22 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

den  below,  and  was  so  filled  with  windows  that 
it  might  have  been  a  conservatory.  The  ones 
on  the  side  were  thus  still  nearer  the  Church 
of  Our  Saviour  than  they  used  to  be ;  those  in 
front  looked  out  on  the  beautiful  harbor,  and 
those  in  the  back  commanded  a  view  of  nothing 
in  particular  but  a  narrow  alley ;  nevertheless, 
they  were  pleasantest  of  all  to  Carol,  for  the 
Kuggles  family  lived  in  the  alley,  and  the  nine 
little,  middle-sized,  and  big  Ruggles  children 
were  a  source  of  inexhaustible  interest. 

The  shutters  could  all  be  opened  and  Carol 
could  take  a  real  sun-bath  in  this  lovely  glass 
house,  or  they  could  all  be  closed  when  the 
dear  head  ached  or  the  dear  eyes  were  tired. 
The  carpet  was  of  soft  gray,  with  clusters  of 
green  bay  and  holly  leaves.  The  furniture  was 
of  white  wood,  on  which  an  artist  had  painted 
snow  scenes  and  Christmas  trees  and  groups  of 
merry  children  ringing  bells  and  singing  carols. 

Donald  had  made  a  pretty,  polished  shelf, 

23 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

and  screwed  it  on  the  outside  of  the  foot-board, 
and  the  boys  always  kept  this  full  of  blooming 
plants,  which  they  changed  from  time  to  time; 
the  head-board,  too,  had  a  bracket  on  either 
side,  where  there  were  pots  of  maiden-hair  ferns. 

Love-birds  and  canaries  hung  in  their  golden 
houses  in  the  windows,  and  they,  poor  caged 
things,  could  hop  as  far  from  their  wooden 
perches  as  Carol  could  venture  from  her  narrow 
white  bed. 

On  one  side  of  the  room  was  a  bookcase  tilled 
with  hundreds --yes,  I  mean  it --with  hun- 
dreds and  hundreds  of  books ;  books  with  gay- 
colored  pictures,  books  without;  books  with 
black  and  white  outline  sketches,  books  with 
none  at  all ;  books  with  verses,  books  with 
stories;  books  that  made  children  laugh,  and 
some,  only  a  few,  that  made  them  cry ;  books 
with  words  of  one  syllable  for  tiny  boys  and 
girls,  and  books  with  words  of  fearful  length  to 
puzzle  wise  ones. 

24 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


This  was  Carol's  Cir- 
culating Library.  Every 
Saturday  she  chose  ten 
books,  jotting  their 
names  down  in  a  diary; 
into  these  she  slipped 
cards  that  said:- 

Please  keep  this  book 
two  weeks  and  read  it. 
With  love, 

CAROL  BIRD. 


Then  Mrs.  Bird  stepped  into  her  carriage  and 
took  the  ten  books  to  the  Children's  Hospital, 
and  brought  home  ten  others  that  she  had  left 
there  the  fortnight  before. 

This  was  a  source  of  great  happiness;  for 
some  of  the  Hospital  children  that  were  old 
enough  to  print  or  write,  and  were  strong  enough 
to  do  it,  wrote  Carol  sweet  little  letters  about 

25 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

the  books,  and  she  answered  them,  and  they 
grew  to  be  friends.  (It  is  very  funny,  but  you 
do  not  always  have  to  see  people  to  love  them. 
Just  think  about  it,  and  tell  me  if  it  isn't  so.) 

There  was  a  high  wainscoting  of  wood  about 
the  room,  and  on  top  of  this,  in  a  narrow  gilt 
framework,  ran  a  row  of  illuminated  pictures 
illustrating  fairy  tales,  all  in  dull  blue  and  gold 
and  scarlet  and  silver.  From  the  door  to  the 
closet  there  was  the  story  of  The  Fair  One  with 
Golden  Locks;  from  closet  to  bookcase,  ran 
Puss  in  Boots ;  from  bookcase  to  fireplace  was 
Jack  the  Giant-killer ;  and  on  the  other  side  of 
the  room  were  Hop  o'  my  Thumb,  The  Sleeping 
Beauty,  and  Cinderella. 

Then  there  was  a  great  closet  full  of  beauti- 
ful things  to  wear,  but  they  were  all  dressing- 
gowns  and  slippers  and  shawls ;  and  there  were 
drawers  full  of  toys  and  games,  but  they  wrere 
such  as  you  could  play  with  on  your  lap.  There 
were  no  ninepins,  nor  balls,  nor  bows  and 

26 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

arrows,  nor  bean  bags,  nor  tennis  rackets ;  but, 
after  all,  other  children  needed  these  more  than 
Carol  Bird,  for  she  was  always  happy  and  con- 
tented, whatever  she  had  or  whatever  she  lacked; 
and  after  the  room  had  been  made  so  lovely  for 
her,  on  her  eighth  Christmas,  she  always  called 
herself,  in  fun,  a  "  Bird  of  Paradise/7 

On  these  particular  December  days  she  was 
happier  than  usual,  for  Uncle  Jack  was  com- 
ing from  England  to  spend  the  holidays.  Dear, 
funny,  jolly,  loving,  wise  Uncle  Jack,  who  came 
every  two  or  three  years,  and  brought  so  much 
joy  with  him  that  the  world  looked  as  black  as 
a  thunder-cloud  for  a  week  after  he  went  away 
again. 

The  mail  had  brought  this  letter :  — 

LONDON,  November  28, 188-. 

Wish  you  merry  Christmas,  you  dearest  birdlings  in 
America !  Preen  your  feathers,  and  stretch  the  Birds' 
nest  a  trifle,  if  you  please,  and  let  Uncle  Jack  in  for  the 
holidays.  I  am  coming  with  such  a  trunk  full  of  treas- 

27 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

ures  that  you'll  have  to  borrow  the  stockings  of  Bar- 
num's  Giant  and  Giantess;  I  am  coming-  to  squeeze  a 
certain  little  lady-bird  until  she  cries  for  mercy;  I  am 
coming  to  see  if  I  can  find  a  boy  to  take  care  of  a  black 
pony  that  I  bought  lately.  It 's  the  strangest  thing  I  ever 
knew ;  I  've  hunted  all  over  Europe,  and  can't  find  a  boy 
to  suit  me !  I  '11  tell  you  why.  I  've  set  my  heart  on  finding 
one  with  a  dimple  in  his  chin,  because  this  pony  partic- 
ularly likes  dimples  !  ["  Hurrah  !  "  cried  Hugh ;  "  bless 
my  dear  dimple;  I  '11  never  be  ashamed  of  it  again."] 

Please  drop  a  note  to  the  clerk  of  the  weather,  and 
have  a  good,  rousing  snow-storm  —  say  on  the  twenty- 
second.  None  of  your  meek,  gentle,  nonsensical,  shilly- 
shallying snow-storms ;  not  the  sort  where  the  flakes  float 
lazily  down  from  the  sky  as  if  they  did  n't  care  whether 
they  ever  got  here  or  not  and  then  melt  away  as  soon  as 
they  touch  the  earth,  but  a  regular  business-like,  whizzing, 
whirring,  blurring,  cutting  snow-storm,  warranted  to 
freeze  and  stay  on  ! 

I  should  like  rather  a  LARGE  Christmas  tree,  if  it 's 
convenient :  not  one  of  those  sprigs,  five  or  six  feet 
high,  that  you  used  to  have  three  or  four  years  ago, 
when  the  birdlings  were  not  fairly  feathered  out;  but  a 
tree  of  some  size.  Set  it  up  in  the  garret,  if  necessary, 
and  then  we  can  cut  a  hole  in  the  roof  if  the  tree  chances 
to  be  too  high  for  the  room. 

28 


BIRDS*  CHRISTMAS  C 


Tell  Bridget  to  begin  to  fatten  a  turkey.  Tell  her  that 
by  the  twentieth  of  December  that  turkey  must  not  be 
able  to  stand  on  its  legs  for  fat,  and  then  on  the  next 
three  days  she  must  allow  it  to  recline  easily  on  its  side, 
and  stuff  it  to  bursting.  (One  ounce  of  stuffing  before- 
hand is  worth  a  pound  afterwards.) 

The  pudding  must  be  unusually  huge,  and  darkly, 
deeply,  lugubriously  blue  in  color.  It  must  be  stuck  so 
full  of  plums  that  the  pudding  itself  will  ooze  out  into 
the  pan  and  not  be  brought  on  to  the  table  at  all.  I  ex- 
pect to  be  there  by  the  twentieth,  to  manage  these  little 
things  myself,  —  remembering  it  is  the  early  Bird  that 
catches  the  worm,  —  but  give  you  the  instructions  in  case 
I  should  be  delayed. 

And  Carol  must  decide  on  the  size  of  the  tree  —  she 
knows  best,  she  was  a  Christmas  child;  and  she  must 
plead  for  the  snow-storm  —  the  Clerk  of  the  weather 
may  pay  some  attention  to  her;  and  she  must  look  up 
the  boy  with  the  dimple  for  me  —  she  's  likelier  to  find 
him  than  I  am,  this  minute.  She  must  advise  about  the 
turkey,  and  Bridget  must  bring  the  pudding  to  her  bed- 
side and  let  her  drop  every  separate  plum  into  it  and  stir 
it  once  for  luck,  or  I'll  not  eat  a  single  slice;  for  Carol 
is  the  dearest  part  of  Christmas  to  Uncle  Jack,  and  he  '11 
have  none  of  it  without  her.  She  is  better  than  all  the  tur- 
keys and  puddings  and  apples  and  spare-ribs  and  wreaths 

29 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

and  garlands  and  mistletoe  and  stockings  and  chimneys 
and  sleigh-bells  in  Christendom !  She  is  the  very  sweetest 
Christmas  Carol  that  was  ever  written,  said,  sung,  or 
chanted,  and  I  am  coming  as  fast  as  ships  and  railway 
trains  can  carry  me,  to  tell  her  so. 

Carol's  joy  knew  no  bounds.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bird 
laughed  like  children  and  kissed  each  other  for 
sheer  delight,  and  when  the  boys  heard  it  they 
simply  whooped  like  wild  Indians,  until  the 
Ruggles  family,  whose  back  yard  joined  their  gar- 
den, gathered  at  the  door  and  wondered  what  was 
going  on  at  the  big  house. 


IV 


"BIRDS  OF  A  FEATHER  FLOCK  TOGETHER" 

NCLE  JACK  did  really  come 
on  the  twentieth.  He  was  not 
detained  by  business,  nor  did 
he  get  left  behind  nor  snowed 
up,  as  frequently  happens  in 
stories,  and  in  real  life  too,  I 
ain  afraid.  The  snow-storm 
came  also ;  and  the  turkey  nearly  died  a  nat- 
ural and  premature  death  from  overeating. 
Donald  came,  too ;  Donald,  with  a  line  of  down 
upon  his  upper  lip,  and  Greek  and  Latin  on  his 
tongue,  and  stores  of  knowledge  in  his  hand- 
some head,  and  stories  -  -  bless  me,  you  could  n't 
turn  over  a  chip  without  reminding  Donald  of 
something  that  happened  "at  College."  One  or 
the  other  was  always  at  Carol's  bedside,  for 

31 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

they  fancied  her  paler  than  she  used  to  be,  and 
they  could  not  bear  her  out  of  sight.  It  was 
Uncle  Jack,  though,  who  sat  beside  her  in  the 
winter  twilights.  The  room  was  quiet,  and 
almost  dark,  save  for  the  snow-light  outside, 
and  the  flickering  flame  of  the  fire,  that  danced 
over  the  Sleeping  Beauty's  face  and  touched 
the  Fair  One's  golden  locks  with  ruddier  glory. 
Carol's  hand  (all  too  thin  and  white  these  latter 
days)  lay  close  clasped  in  Uncle  Jack's,  and 
they  talked  together  quietly  of  many,  many 
things. 

"  I  want  to  tell  you  all  about  my  plans  for 
Christmas  this  year,  Uncle  Jack,"  said  Carol, 
on  the  first  evening  of  his  visit,  "  because  it  will 
be  the  loveliest  one  I  ever  had.  The  boys  laugh 
at  me  for  caring  so  much  about  it ;  but  it  is  n't 
altogether  because  it  is  Christmas,  nor  because 
it  is  my  birthday ;  but  long,  long  ago,  when  I 
first  began  to  be  ill,  I  used  to  think,  the  first 
thing  when  I  waked  on  Christmas  morning,  l  To- 

32 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

day  is  Christ's  birthday  -  -  and  mine!  '  I  did  n't 
put  the  words  close  together,  you  know,  because 
that  made  it  seem  too  bold;  but  I  first  said, 
'Christ's  birthday,'  out  loud,  and  then,  in  a 
minute,  softly  to  myself  — '  and  mine  !  '  '  Christ' s 
birthday  -  -  and  mine !  '  And  so  I  don't  quite 
feel  about  Christmas  as  other  girls  do.  Mother 
says  she  supposes  that  ever  so  many  other  chil- 
dren have  been  born  on  that  day.  I  often  won- 
der where  they  are,  Uncle  Jack,  and  whether  it 
is  a  dear  thought  to  them,  too,  or  whether  I  am 
so  much  in  bed,  and  so  often  alone,  that  it  means 
more  to  me.  Oh,  I  do  hope  that  none  of  them 
are  poor,  or  cold,  or  hungry ;  and  I  wish,  I  wish 
they  were  all  as  happy  as  I,  because  they  are 
really  my  little  brothers  and  sisters.  Now,  Uncle 
Jack  dear,  I  am  going  to  try  and  make  some- 
body happy  every  single  Christmas  that  I  live, 
and  this  year  it  is  to  be  the  Euggleses  in  the 


rear." 


"  That  large  and  interesting  brood  of  children 

33 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

in   the   little    house  at  the  end  of  the  back 
garden?'7 

"Yes ;  is  n't  it  nice  to  see  so  many  together? 
-  and,  Uncle  Jack,  why  do  the  big  families  al- 
ways live  in  the  small  houses,  and  the  small 
families  in  the  big  houses?  We  ought  to  call 
them  the  Ruggles  children,  of  course ;  but  Do- 
nald began  talking  of  them  as  the  '  Ruggleses 
in  the  rear/  and  father  and  mother  took  it  up, 
and  now  we  cannot  seem  to  help  it.  The  house 
was  built  for  Mr.  Carter's  coachman,  but  Mr. 
Carter  lives  in  Europe,  and  the  gentleman  who 
rents  his  place  for  him  does  n't  care  what  hap- 
pens to  it,  and  so  this  poor  family  came  to  live 
there.  When  they  first  moved  in,  I  used  to  sit 
in  my  window  and  watch  them  play  in  their 
back  yard ;  they  are  so  strong,  and  jolly,  and 
good-natured;  and  then,  one  day,  I  had  a  worse 
headache  than  usual,  and  Donald  asked  them  if 
they  would  please  not  scream  quite  so  loud,  and 
they  explained  that  they  were  having  a  game 

34 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

of  circus,  but  that  they  would 
change  and  play  'Deaf  and 
Dumb  Asylum '  all  the  after- 
noon.77 

"Ha,  ha,  ha!"  laughed  Un- 
cle Jack,  "what  an  obliging 
family,  to  be  sure!" 

"  Yes,  we  all  thought  it  very 
funny,  and  I  smiled  at  them 
from  the  window  when  I  was 
well  enough  to  be  up  again. 
Now,  Sarah  Maud  comes  to  her 
door  when  the  children  come 
home  from  school,  and  if  mother 
nods  her  head,  *  Yes/  that  means  '  Carol  is  very 
well/  and  then  you  ought  to  hear  the  little 
Ruggleses  yell,  -  - 1  believe  they  try  to  see  how 
much  noise  they  can  make ;  but  if  mother  shakes 
her  head,  'No/  they  always  play  at  quiet  games. 
Then,  one  day,  'Gary/  rny  pet  canary,  flew  out 
of  her  cage,  and  Peter  Euggles  caught  her  and 

35 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

brought  her  back  and  I  had  him  up  here  in  my 
room  to  thank  him." 

"Is  Peter  the  oldest ?" 

"  No ;  Sarah  Maud  is  the  oldest  —  she  helps  do 
the  washing ;  and  Peter  is  the  next.  He  is  a 
dressmaker's  boy.'7 

"And  which  is  the  pretty  little  red-haired 
girl?"  . 

"That's  Kitty." 

"And  the  fat  youngster?'7 

"Baby  Larry." 

"And  that  —  most  freckled  one?" 

"Now,  don't  laugh --that's  Peoria." 

"  Carol,  you  are  joking." 

"No,  really,  Uncle  dear.  She  was  born  in  Pe- 
oria, Illinois;  that's  all." 

"And  is  the  next  boy  Oshkosh?" 

"No,"  laughed  Carol,  "the  others  are  Susan, 
and  Clement,  and  Eily,  and  Cornelius ;  they  all 
look  exactly  alike,  except  that  some  of  them 
have  more  freckles  than  the  others." 

36 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  How  did  you  ever  learn  all  their  names?" 

"Why,  I  have  what  I  call  a  'window-school.' 

It  is  too  cold  now ;  but  in  warm  weather  I  am 

wheeled  out  on  my  balcony,  and  the  Ruggleses 

climb  up  and  walk  along  our  garden  fence,  and 


sit  down  on  the  ropf  of  our  carriage-house.  That 
brings  them  quite  near,  and  I  tell  them  stories. 
On  Thanksgiving  Day  they  came  up  for  a  few 
minutes, — it  was  quite  warm  at  eleven  o'clock, 
-  and  we  told  each  other  what  we  had  to  be 
thankful  for ;  but  they  gave  such  queer  answers 
that  Elfridahad  to  run  away  for  fear  of  laughing; 

37 


BIRDS*  CHRISTMAS  CAROL. 

and  even  I  could  n't  understand  them  very  well. 
Susan  was  thankful  for  '  trunks,'  of  all  things  in 
the  world;  Cornelius,  for  'horse-cars';  Kitty,  for 
'  pork  steak  ' ;  while  Clem,  who  is  very  quiet, 
brightened  up  when  I  came  to  him,  and  said  he 
was  thankful  for  '  his  lame  puppy.'  Was  n't  that 
pretty?" 

"  It  might  teach  some  of  us  a  lesson,  might  n't 
it,  little  girl?" 

"That's  what  mother  said.  Now  I'm  going 
to  give  this  whole  Christmas  to  the  Ruggleses ; 
and,  Uncle  Jack,  I  earned  part  of  the  money 
myself." 

"  You,  my  bird ;  how  ?  " 

"Well;  you  see,  it  could  not  be  my  own,  own 
Christmas  if  father  gave  me  all  the  money,  and  I 
thought  to  really  keep  Christ's  birthday  I  ought 
to  do  something  of  my  very  own  ;  and  so  I  talked 
with  mother.  Of  course  she  thought  of  some- 
thing beautiful ;  she  always  does  :  her  head  is 
just  brimming  over  with  lovely  thoughts,  —  all 

38 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

I  have  to  do  is  ask,  and  out  pops  the  very  one 
I  want.  This  thought  was  to  let  her  write  down, 
just  as  I  told  her,  a  description  of  how  a  little 
girl  lived  in  her  own  room  for  three  years,  and 
what  she  did  to  amuse  herself ;  and  we  sent  it 
to  a  magazine  and  got  twenty-five  dollars  for  it. 
Just  think !" 

"Well,  well,"  cried  Uncle  Jack,  "ray  own 
niece  a  real  author !  And  what  are  you  going  to 
do  with  this  wonderful  money  of  yours?  " 

"I  shall  give  the  nine  Ruggleses  a  grand 
Christmas  dinner  here  in  this  very  room  -  -  that 
will  be  father's  contribution,  --and  afterwards 
a  beautiful  Christmas  tree,  fairly  blooming  with 
presents  —  that  will  be  my  part;  for  I  have  an- 
other way  of  adding  to  my  twenty-five  dollars, 
so  that  I  can  buy  nearly  anything  I  choose.  I 
should  like  it  very  much  if  you  would  sit  at  the 
head  of  the  table,  Uncle  Jack,  for  nobody  could 
ever  be  frightened  of  you,  you  dearest,  dearest, 
dearest  thing  that  ever  was !  Mother  is  going  to 

39 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

help  us,  but  father  and  the  boys  are  going  to  eat 
together  downstairs  for  fear  of  making  the  little 
Ruggleses  shy ;  and  after  we  Ve  had  a  merry 
time  with  the  tree  we  can  open  my  window  and 
all  listen  together  to  the  music  at  the  evening 
church-service,  if  the  singing  begins  before  the 
children  go.  I  have  written  a  letter  to  the  organ- 
ist, and  asked  him  if  I  might  have  the  two  songs 
I  like  best.  Will  you  see  if  it  is  all  right  ?" 

BIRDS'  NEST,  December  21,  188-. 

DEAR  MR.  WILKIE, —  I  am  the  little  girl  who  lives 
next  door  to  the  church,  and,  as  I  seldom  go  out,  the 
music  on  practice  days  and  Sundays  is  one  of  my  great- 
est pleasures. 

I  want  to  know  if  you  can  have  "  Carol,  brothers, 
carol,"  on  Christmas  night,  and  if  the  boy  who  sings 
"My  ain  countree"  so  beautifully  may  please  sing  that 
too.  I  think  it  is  the  loveliest  thing  in  the  world,  but  it 
always  makes  me  cry  ;  does  n't  it  you  ? 

If  it  isn't  too  much  trouble,  I  hope  they  can  sing 
them  both  quite  early,  as  after  ten  o'clock  I  may  be 
asleep.  Yours  respectfully, 

CAROL  BIRD. 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

P.  S.  —  The  reason  I  like  "  Carol,  brothers,  carol/'  is 
because  the  choir-boys  sang  it  eleven  years  ago,  the 
morning  I  was  born,  and  put  it  into  mother's  head  to 
call  me  Carol.  She  did  n't  remember  then  that  my  other 
name  would  be  Bird,  because  she  was  half  asleep,  and 
could  only  think  of  one  thing  at  a  time.  Donald  says  if 
I  had  been  born  on  the  Fourth  of  July  they  would  have 
named  me  "  Independence,"  or  if  on  the  twenty-second 
of  February,  "Georgina,"  or  even  "  Cherry,"  like  Cherry 
in  "Martin  Chuzzlewit";  but  I  like  my  own  name  and 
birthday  best.  Yours  truly, 

CAROL  BIRD. 


Uncle  Jack  thought  the  letter  quite  right,  and 
did  not  even  smile  at  her  telling  the  organist  so 
many  family  items. 

The  days  flew  by  as  they  always  fly  in  holiday 
time,  and  it  was  Christmas  Eve  before  anybody 
knew  it.  The  family  festival  was  quiet  and  very 
pleasant,  but  almost  overshadowed  by  the 
grander  preparations  for  the  next  day.  Carol 
and  Elfrida,  her  pretty  German  nurse,  had  ran- 
sacked books,  and  introduced  so  many  plans, 

41 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

and  plays,  and  customs,  and  merry-makings 
from  Germany,  and  Holland,  and  England,  and 
a  dozen  other  countries,  that  you  would  scarcely 
have  known  how  or  where  you  wrere  keeping 
Christmas.  Even  the  dog  and  the  cat  had  en- 
joyed their  celebration  under  Carol's  direction. 
Each  had  a  tiny  table  with  a  lighted  candle  in 
the  centre,  and  a  bit  of  Bologna  sausage  placed 
very  near  it;  and  everybody  laughed  till  the 
tears  stood  in  their  eyes  to  see  Villikins  and 
Dinah  struggle  to  nibble  the  sausages,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  evade  the  candle  flame.  Vil- 
likins barked,  and  sniffed,  and  howled  in  impa- 
tience, and  after  many  vain  attempts  succeeded 
in  dragging  off  the  prize,  though  he  singed  his 
nose  in  doing  it.  Dinah,  meanwhile,  watched 
him  placidly,  her  delicate  nostrils  quivering 
with  expectation,  and,  after  all  excitement  had 
subsided,  walked  with  dignity  to  the  table,  her 
beautiful  gray  satin  trail  sweeping  behind  her, 
and  calmly  putting  up  one  velvet  paw,  drew 

42 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

the  sausage  gently  down,  and  walked  out  of  the 
room  without  turning  a  hair,  so  to  speak.  Bl- 
frida  had  scattered  handfuls  of  seed  over  the 
snow  in  the  garden,  that  the  wild  birds  might 
have  a  comfortable  breakfast  next  morning,  and 
had  stuffed  bundles  of  dry  grasses  in  the  fire- 
places, so  that  the  reindeer  of  Santa  Claus  could 
refresh  themselves  after  their  long  gallops  across 
country.  This  was  really  only  done  for  fun,  but 
it  pleased  Carol. 

And  when,  after  dinner,  the  whole  family 
had  gone  to  church  to  see  the  Christmas  deco- 
rations, Carol  limped  out  on  her  slender  crutches, 
and  with  Elfrida's  help,  placed  all  the  family 
shoes  in  a  row  in  the  upper  hall.  That  was  to 
keep  the  dear  ones  from  quarreling  all  through 
the  year.  There  were  father's  stout  top  boots ; 
mother's  pretty  buttoned  shoes  next ;  then 
Uncle  Jack's,  Donald's,  Paul's,  and  Hugh's; 
and  at  the  end  of  the  line  her  own  little  white 
worsted  slippers.  Last,  and  sweetest  of  all,  like 

43 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


-     -J:*. 


the  children  in  Austria,  she  put  a  lighted  candle 
in  her  window  to  guide  the  dear  Christ-child, 
lest  he  should  stumble  in  the  dark  night  as  he 
passed  up  the  deserted  street.  This  done,  she 
dropped  into  bed,  a  rather  tired,  but  very  happy 
Christinas  fairy. 


SOME  OTHER  BIRDS  ARE  TAUGHT  TO  FLY 

EFORE  the  earliest  Ruggles 
could  wake  and  toot  his  five-cent 
tin  horn,  Mrs.  Ruggles  was  up 
and  stirring  about  the  house,  for 
it  was  a  gala  day  in  the  family. 
(Jala  day!  I  should  think  so! 
Were  not  her  nine  children  in- 
vited to  a  dinner-party  at  the 
great  house,  and  weren't  they  going  to  sit 
down  free  and  equal  with  the  mightiest  in  the 
land?  She  had  been  preparing  for  this  grand 
occasion  ever  since  the  receipt  of  Carol  Bird's 
invitation,  which,  by  the  way,  had  been  speedily 
enshrined  in  an  old  photograph  frame  and 
hung  under  the  looking-glass  in  the  most  pro- 
minent place  in  the  kitchen,  where  it  stared  the 

45 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

occasional  visitor  directly  in  the  eye,  and  made 
him  livid  with  envy :  - 

BIRDS'  NEST,  December  17,  188-. 

DEAR  MRS.  RUGGLES,  —  I  am  going  to  have  a  dinner- 
party on  Christmas  Day,  and  would  like  to  have  all 
your  children  come.  I  want  them  every  one,  please, 
from  Sarah  Maud  to  Baby  Larry.  Mother  says  dinner 
will  be  at  half-past  five,  and  the  Christmas  tree  at  seven  ; 
so  you  may  expect  them  home  at  nine  o'clock.  Wishing 
you  a  Merry  Christmas  and  a  Happy  New  Year,  I  am 

Yours  truly, 

CAROL  BIRD. 

Breakfast  was  on  the  table  promptly  at  seven 
o'clock,  and  there  was  very  little  of  it,  too;  for 
it  was  an  excellent  day  for  short  rations,  though 
Mrs.  Ruggles  heaved  a  sigh  as  she  reflected 
that  the  boys,  with  their  India-rubber  stomachs, 
would  be  just  as  hungry  the  day  after  the  din- 
ner-party as  if  they  had  never  had  any  at  all. 

As  soon  as  the  scanty  meal  was  over,  she 
announced  the  plan  of  the  campaign:  "Now, 
Susan,  you  an7  Kitty  wash  up  the  dishes;  an7 

46 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

Peter,  can't  yer  spread  up  the  beds,  so  't  1  can 
git  ter  cuttin'  out  Larry's  new  suit  ?  I  ain't  sat- 
isfied with  his  clo'es,  an'  I  thought  in  the  night 
of  a  way  to  make  him  a  dress  out  o'  my  old  red 
plaid  shawl  -  -  kind  o'  Scotch  style,  yer  know, 
with  the  fringe  't  the  bottom.  .  .  .  Eily,  you  go 
find  the  comb  and  take  the  snarls  out  the  fringe, 
that 's  a  lady !  You  little  young  ones  clear  out 
from  underfoot!  Clem,  you  and  Con  hop  into 
bed  with  Larry  while  I  wash  yer  underflannins ; 
't  won't  take  long  to  dry  'em.  -  -Yes,  I  know  it 's 
bothersome,  but  yer  can't  go  int'  s'ciety  'thout 
takin'  some  trouble,  'n'  anyhow  I  couldn't  git 
round  to 'em  last  night.  .  .  .  Sarah  Maud,  I  think 't 
would  be  perfeckly  han'some  if  you  ripped  them 
brass  buttons  off  yer  uncle's  policeman's  coat 
'n'  sewed  'em  in  a  row  up  the  front  o'  yer  green 
skirt.  Susan,  you  must  iron  out  yours  'n'  Kitty's 
apurns;  'n'  there,  I  come  mighty  near  forgettin' 
Peory's  stockin's !  I  counted  the  whole  lot  last 
night  when  I  was  washin'  of  'em,  'n'  there  aint 

47 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


but  nineteen  anyhow  yer  fix  'em,  'n'  no  nine 
pairs  mates  nohow ;  V  I  ain't  goin'  ter  have  my 
children  wear  odd  stockin's  to  a  dinner-comp'ny, 
fetched  up  as  I  was  !  -  -  Eily,  can't  you  run  out 
and  ask  Mis'  Cullen  ter  lend  me  a  pair  o'  stock- 
in's for  Peory,  V  tell  her  if  she  will,  Peory  11 

48 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

give  her  Jim  half  her  candy  when  she  gets  home. 
Won't  yer,  Peory?" 

Peoria  was  young  and  greedy,  and  thought 
the  remedy  so  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  dis- 
ease, that  she  set  up  a  deafening  howl  at  the 
projected  bargain  —  a  howl  so  rebellious  and  so 
entirely  out  of  season  that  her  mother  started 
in  her  direction  with  flashing  eye  and  uplifted 
hand  ;  but  she  let  it  fall  suddenly,  saying,  "  No, 
I  vow  I  won't  lick  ye  Christmas  Day,  if  yer  drive 
me  crazy ;  but  speak  up  smart,  now,  'n7  say 
whether  yer  ?d  ruther  give  Jim  Cullen  half  yer 
candy  or  go  bare-legged  ter  the  party?"  The 
matter  being  put  so  plainly,  Peoria  collected  her 
faculties,  dried  her  tears,  and  chose  the  lesser 
evil,  Clem  having  hastened  the  decision  by  an 
affectionate  wink,  that  meant  he'd  go  halves 
with  her  on  his  candy. 

"  That 's  a  lady  !  "  cried  her  mother.  "  Now, 
you  young  ones  that  ain't  doin'  nothin',  play  all 
yer  want  ter  before  noontime,  for  after  ye  git 

49 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

through  eatin'  at  twelve  o'clock  me  'n'  Sarah 
Maud's  goin'  ter  give  yer  sech  a  washin'  V 
combin'  V  dressin'  as  yer  never  had  before  V 
never  will  agin  likely,  'n?  then  I  'm  goin'  to  set 
yer  down  V  give  yer  two  solid  hours  trainin'  in 
manners;  V  't  won't  be  no  foolin'  neither." 

"  All  we  've  got  ter  do  ?s  go  eat !  "  grumbled 
Peter. 

"  Well,  that 's  enough, "  responded  his  mother; 
"  there  's  more  'n  one  way  of  eatin',  let  me  tell 
yer,  'n'  you  've  got  a  heap  ter  learn  about  it, 
Peter  Ruggles.  Land  sakes,  I  wish  you  childern 
could  see  the  way  I  was  fetched  up  to  eat.  I 
never  took  a  meal  o7  vittles  in  the  kitchen  be- 
fore I  married  Ruggles ;  but  yer  can't  keep  up 
that  style  with  nine  young  ones  'n'  yer  Pa 
always  off  ter  sea." 

The  big  Euggleses  worked  so  well,  and  the 
little  Ruggleses  kept  from  "under  foot"  so 
successfully,  that  by  one  o'clock  nine  complete 
toilets  were  laid  out  in  solemn  grandeur  on  the 

50 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

beds.  1  say  "complete77;  but  I  do  not  know 
whether  they  would  be  called  so  in  the  best  so- 
ciety. The  law  of  compensation  had  been  well 
applied :  he  that  had  necktie  had  no  cuffs ;  she 
that  had  sash  had  no  handkerchief,  and  vice 
versa;  but  they  all  had  shoes  and  a  certain 
amount  of  clothing,  such  as  it  was,  the  outside 
layer  being  in  every  case  quite  above  criticism. 

"Now,  Sarah  Maud/7  said  Mrs.  Ruggles,  her 
face  shining  with  excitement,  "everything's 
red  up  an7  we  can  begin.  1 7ve  got  a  boiler  7n7 
a  kettle  7n'  a  pot  o7  hot  water.  Peter,  you  go 
into  the  back  bedroom,  V  1 711  take  Susan,  Kitty, 
Peory,  7n7  Cornelius ;  7n7  Sarah  Maud,  you  take 
Clem,  V  Eily,  7n7  Larry,  one  to  a  time.  Scrub 
?em  7n7  rinse  'em,  or  7t  any  rate  git  7s  fur  7s  yer 
can  with  7em,  and  then  1 711  finish  7em  off  while 
you  do  yerself.77 

Sarah  Maud  could  n7t  have  scrubbed  with 
any  more  decision  and  force  if  she  had  been 
doing  floors,  and  the  little  Ruggleses  bore  it 

51 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

bravely,  not  from  natural  heroism,  but  for  the 
joy  that  was  set  before  them.  Not  being  satis- 
lied,  however,  with  the  tone  of  their  complex- 
ions, and  feeling  that  the  number  of  freckles 
to  the  square  inch  was  too  many  to  be  tolerated 
in  the  highest  social  circles,  she  wound  up  op- 
erations by  applying  a  little  Bristol  brick  from 
the  knife-board,  which  served  as  the  proverbial 
"last  straw,"  from  under  which  the  little  Rug- 
gleses  issued  rather  red  and  raw  and  out  of 
temper.  When  the  clock  struck  four  they  were 
all  clothed,  and  most  of  them  in  their  right 
minds,  ready  for  those  last  touches  that  always 
take  the  most  time. 

Kitty's  red  hair  was  curled  in  thirty-four  ring- 
lets, Sarah  Maud's  was  braided  in  one  pig-tail,  and 
Susan's  and  Eily's  in  two  braids  apiece,  while 
Peoria's  resisted  all  advances  in  the  shape  of 
hair  oils  and  stuck  out  straight  on  all  sides,  like 
that  of  the  Circassian  girl  of  the  circus,  so 
Clem  said ;  and  he  was  sent  into  the  bedroom 

52 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS 


for  it,  too,  from  whence  he  was  dragged  out  for- 
givingly, by  Peoria  herself,  live  minutes  later. 
Then,  exciting  moment,  came  linen  collars  for 
some  and  neckties  and  bows  for  others  ;  a  mag- 
nificent green  glass  breastpin  was  sewred  into 
Peter's  purple  necktie,  and  Eureka!  the  Rug- 
gleses  were  dressed,  and  Solomon  in  all  his 
glory  was  never  arrayed  like  one  of  these  ! 

A  row  of  seats  was  then  formed  directly 
through  the  middle  of  the  kitchen.  Of  course 
there  were  not  quite  chairs  enough  for  ten,  since 


53 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

the  family  had  rarely  wanted  to  sit  down  all  at 
once,  somebody  always  being  out  or  in  bed,  or 
otherwise  engaged,  but  the  woodbox  and  the 
coal-hod  finished  out  the  line  nicely,  and  no- 
body thought  of  grumbling.  The  children  took 
their  places  according  to  age,  Sarah  Maud  at 
the  head  and  Larry  on  the  coal-hod,  and  Mrs. 
Ruggles  seated  herself  in  front,  surveying  them 
proudly  as  she  wiped  the  sweat  of  honest  toil 
from  her  brow. 

"Well/7  she  exclaimed,  "if  I  do  say  so  as 
shouldn't,  I  never  see  a  cleaner,  more  stylish 
mess  o'  childern  in  my  life !  I  do  wish  Ruggles 
could  look  at  ye  for  a  minute !  -  -  Larry  Ruggles, 
how  many  times  have  I  got  ter  tell  yer  not  ter 
keep  pullin7  at  yer  sash?  Haven't  I  told  yer  if 
it  comes  ontied,  yer  waist  V  skirt  '11  part  com- 
p'ny  in  the  middle,  'n'  then  where  '11  yer  be?  — 
Now  look  me  in  the  eye,  all  of  yer !  I  've  of 'en 
told  yer  what  kind  of  a  family  the  McGrills  was. 
I  Ve  got  reason  to  be  proud,  goodness  knows ! 

54 


SARAH    MAUD   COULD  NT    HAVE    SCRUBBED 

WITH  ANY   MORE   DECISION   AND   FORCE 

IF  SHE  HAD  BEEN  DOING  THE  FLOORS 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

Your  uncle  is  on  the  police  force  o'  New  York 
city ;  you  can  take  up  the  paper  most  any  day 
an'  see  his  name  printed  right  out  —  James 
McGrill,  -  -  'n'  I  can't  have  my  children  fetched 
up  common,  like  some  folks' ;  when  they  go  out 
they  've  got  to  have  clo'es,  and  learn  to  act  de- 
cent !  Now  I  want  ter  see  how  yer  goin'  to  be- 
have when  yer  git  there  to-night.  'T  ain't  so 
awful  easy  as  you  think  't  is.  Let 's  start  in  at 
the  beginnin'  'n'  act  out  the  whole  business. 
Pile  into  the  bedroom,  there,  every  last  one  o'  ye, 
'n'  show  me  how  yer  goin'  to  go  int'  the  parlor. 
This  '11  be  the  parlor,  an  I'll  be  Mis'  Bird." 

The  youngsters  hustled  into  the  next  room  in 
high  glee,  and  Mrs.  Ruggles  drew  herself  up  in 
the  chair  with  an  infinitely  haughty  and  purse- 
proud  expression  that  much  better  suited  a  de- 
scendant of  the  McGrills  than  modest  Mrs.  Bird. 

The  bedroom  was  small,  and  there  presently 
ensued  such  a  clatter  that  you  would  have 
thought  a  herd  of  wild  cattle  had  broken  loose. 

57 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


The  door  opened,  and  they  straggled  in,  all  the 
younger  ones  giggling,  with  Sarah  Maud  at  the 
head,  looking  as  if  she  had  been  caught  in  the  act 
of  stealing  sheep;  while  Larry,  being  last  in 

58 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

line,  seemed  to  think  the  door  a  sort  of  gate  of 
heaven  which  would  be  shut  in  his  face  if  he 
did  n't  get  there  in  time ;  accordingly  he  strug- 
gled ahead  of  his  elders  and  disgraced  himself 
by  tumbling  in  head  foremost. 

Mrs.  Ruggles  looked  severe.  "  There,  I  knew 
yer  'd  do  it  in  some  sech  fool  way !  Now  go  in 
there  and  try  it  over  again,  every  last  one  o'  ye, 
V  if  Larry  can't  come  in  on  two  legs  he  can 
stay  ter  home,  -- d'yer  hear?  " 

The  matter  began  to  assume  a  graver  aspect ; 
the  little  Ruggleses  stopped  giggling  and  backed 
into  the  bedroom,  issuing  presently  with  lock 
step,  Indian  file,  a  scared  and  hunted  expres- 
sion on  every  countenance. 

"No,  no,  no!  "  cried  Mrs.  Ruggles,  in  despair. 
"That's  worse  yet;  yer  look  for  all  the  world 
like  a  gang  o'  pris'ners !  There  ain't  no  style  ter 
that:  spread  out  more,  can't  yer,  V  act  kind  o' 
careless-like !  Nobody's  goin'  ter  kill  ye;  that 
ain't  what  a  dinner-party  is !  " 

59 


THE  BIRDS*  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

The  third  time  brought  deserved  success,  and 
the  pupils  took  their  seats  in  a  row. 

"  Now,  yer  know,'7  said  Mrs.  Ruggles  impres- 
sively, "there  ain't  enough  decent  hats  to  go 
round,  'n'  if  there  was  I  don'  know 's  I  'd  let  yer 
wear 'em,  for  the  boys  would  never  think  to  take 
'em  off  when  they  got  inside,  for  they  never  do 
—  but  anyhow,  there  ain't  enough  good  ones. 
Now,  look  me  in  the  eye.  You  're  only  goin'  jest 
round  the  corner ;  you  need  n't  wear  no  hats, 
none  of  yer,  V  when  yer  get  int'  the  parlor,  V 
they  shouldn't  take  notice  o'  your  heads,  an'  ask 
yer  ter  lay  off  yer  hats,  Sarah  Maud  must  speak 
up  'n'  say  it  was  sech  a  pleasant  evenin'  'n' 
sech  a  short  walk  that  yer  left  yer  hats  to 
home.  Now,  can  yer  remember?" 

All  the  little  Kuggleses  shouted,  "Yes, 
inarm  !  "  in  chorus. 

"What  have  you  got  ter  do  with  it?"  de- 
manded their  mother:  "did  I  tell  you  to  say 
it?  Warn't  I  talkin'  ter  Sarah  Maud?" 

60 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

The  little  Ruggleses  hung  their  diminished 
heads.  "Yes  marm,"  they  piped,  more  dis- 
creetly. 

i 'Now  we  won't  leave  nothin'  to  chance;  git 
up,  all  of  ye,  an7  try  it.  -  -  Speak  up,  Sarah 
Maud." 

Sarah  Maud's  tongue  clove  to  the  roof  of  her 
mouth. 

"Quick!" 

"  Ma  thought  -  -  it  was  —  sech  a  pleasant  hat 
that  we  ?d  -  -  we  'd  better  leave  our  short  walk 
to  home,"  recited  Sarah  Maud,  in  an  agony  of 
mental  effort. 

This  was  too  much  for  the  boys.  An  earth- 
quake of  suppressed  giggles  swept  all  along  the 
line. 

"  Oh,  whatever  shall  I  do  with  yer?  "  moaned 
the  unhappy  mother ;  "  I  s'pose  I  Ve  got  to  learn 
it  to  yer!"  -which  she  did,  word  for  word, 
until  Sarah  Maud  thought  she  could  stand  on 
her  head  and  say  it  backwards. 

61 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  Now,  Cornelius,  what  are  you  goin'  ter  say 
ter  make  yerself  good  couip'ny  ?  " 

"  Do  ?  Me  ?  Dunno  !  "  said  Cornelius,  turning 
pale  with  unexpected  responsibility. 

"  Well,  ye  ain't  goin'  to  set  there  like  a  bump 
on  a  log  'thout  sayin'  a  word  ter  pay  for  yer 
vittles,  air  ye  ?  Ask  Mis'  Bird  how  she  's  feelin' 
this  evenin',  or  if  Mr.  Bird  's  hevin'  a  busy  sea- 
son, or  how  this  kind  o'  weather  agrees  with 
him,  or  soinethin'  like  that.  —  Now  we  '11  make 
b'lieve  we've  got  ter  the  dinner, --that  won't 
be  so  hard,  'cause  yer  '11  have  somethin'  to  do 
— it's  awful  bothersome  to  stan'  round  an' 
act  stylish.  .  .  .  If  they  have  napkins,  Sarah  Maud 
down  to  Peory  may  put  'em  in  their  laps,  'n' 
the  rest  of  ye  can  tuck  'em  in  yer  necks.  Don't 
eat  with  yer  lingers,  don't  grab  no  vittles  off 
one  'nother's  plates ;  don't  reach  out  for  nothin', 
but  wait  till  yer  asked,  'n'  if  you  never  git 
asked  don't  git  up  and  grab  it.  ...  Don't  spill 
nothin'  on  the  tablecloth,  or  like's  not  Mis' 

62 


THE  BIRDS*  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

Bird '11  send  yer  away  from  the  table-- V  I 
hope  she  will  if  yer  do !  ...  Susan !  keep  your 
handkerchief  in  your  lap  where  Peory  can  bony 
it  if  she  needs  it,  'n'  I  hope  she  '11  know  when 
she  does  need  it,  though  I  don't  expect  it.  ... 
Now  we  '11  try  a  few  things  ter  see  how  they  '11 
go!  Mr.  Clement,  do  you  eat  cramb'ry  sarse?" 

"Bet  yer  life!  "  cried  Clem,  who  in  the  ex- 
citement of  the  moment  had  not  taken  in  the 
idea  exactly  arid  had  mistaken  this  for  an  ordi- 
nary bosom-of-the-family  question. 

"  Clement  McGrill  Ruggles,  do  you  mean  to 
tell  me  that  you  'd  say  that  to  a  dinner-party  ? 
I  '11  give  ye  one  more  chance.  Mr.  Clement,  will 
you  take  some  of  the  cramb'ry?" 

"Yes,  marm,  thank  ye  kindly,  if  you  happen 
ter  have  any  handy." 

"  Very  good,  indeed !  But  they  won't  give  yer 
two  tries  to-night,  just  remember  that !  .  .  . 
Miss  Peory,  do  you  speak  for  white  or  dark  meat?  " 

"  I  ain't  perticler  as  ter  color,  anything  that 

63 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

nobody  else  wants  will  suit  me,"  answered  Peory 
with  her  best  air. 

"First-rate!  Nobody  could  speak  more  gen- 
teel than  that !  Miss  Kitty,  will  you  have  hard 
or  soft  sarse  with  your  pudden?" 

"Hard  or  soft?  Oh!  A  little  of  both,  if  you 
please,  an'  I'm  much  obliged/7  said  Kitty, 
bowing  with  decided  ease  and  grace ;  at  which 
all  the  other  Ruggleses  pointed  the  finger  of 
shame  at  her,  and  Peter  grunted  expressively, 
that  their  meaning  might  not  be  mistaken. 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  You  just  stop  your  gruntin',  Peter  Euggles; 
that  warn't  greedy,  that  was  all  right.  I  wish  I 
could  git  it  inter  your  heads  that  it  ain't  so  much 
what  yer  say,  as  the  way  you  say  it.  And  don't 
keep  starin'  cross-eyed  at  your  necktie  pin,  or 
I  vow  1 11  take  it  out  o'  you  'n'  sew  it  on  to  Clem 
or  Cornelius ;  Sarah  Maud  11  keep  her  eye  on  it, 
V  if  it  turns  broken  side  out  she  11  tell  yer. 
Gracious !  I  should  n't  think  you  'd  ever  seen 
nor  worn  no  jool'ry  in  your  life.  .  .  .  Eily,  you 
an'  Larry 's  too  little  to  train,  so  you  just 
look  at  the  rest  an'  do  's  they  do,  'n'  the  Lord 
have  mercy  on  ye  'n'  help  ye  to  act  decent! 
Now,  is  there  anything  more  ye'd  like  to 
practice?" 

"If  yer  tell  me  one  more  thing,  I  can't  set  up 
an'  eat,"  said  Peter  gloomily ;  "  I  'm  so  cram  full 
o'  manners  now  I  'm  ready  ter  bust,  'thout  no 
dinner  at  all." 

"  Me  too,"  chimed  in  Cornelius. 

"Well,  I'm  sorry  for  yer  both,"  rejoined 

65 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

Mrs.  Ruggles  sarcastically;  "if  the  'mount  o' 
manners  yer  've  got  on  hand  now  troubles  ye, 
you  're  dreadful  easy  hurt !  Now,  Sarah  Maud, 
after  dinner,  about  once  in  so  often,  you  must 
git  up  V  say,  '  I  guess  we  'd  better  be  goin' ; ' 
V  if  they  say,  '  Oh,  no,  set  a  while  longer,'  yer 
can  set;  but  if  they  don't  say  nothin'  you've 
got  ter  get  up  V  go.  Hev  yer  got  that  int'  yer 
head?" 

"  About  once  in  so  often  !  "  Could  any  words  in 
the  language  be  fraught  with  more  terrible  and 
wearing  uncertainty? 

"Well,"  answered  Sarah  Maud  mournfully, 
"seems  as  if  this  whole  dinner-party  set  right 
square  on  top  o'  me  !  Mebbe  I  could  manage  my 
own  manners,  but  to  manage  nine  mannerses  is 
worse  'n  staying  to  home!" 

"Oh,  don't  fret,"  said  her  mother,  good-na- 
turedly, now  that  the  lesson  was  over ;  "  I  guess 
you  '11  git  along.  T  would  n't  mind  if  folks  would 
only  say,  '  Oh,  childern  will  be  childern ' ;  but 

66 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

they  won't.  They  '11  say, '  Land  o'  Goodness,  who 
fetched  them  childern  up  ? '  .  .  .  It 's  quarter 
past  live,  'n'  yer  can  go  now : —  remember  'bout 
the  hats,  .  .  .  don't  all  talk  ter  once.  .  .  . 
Susan,  lend  yer  han'k 'chief  terPeory,  .  .  .  Peter, 
don't  keep  screwin'  yer  scarf-pin,  .  .  .  Corne- 
lius, hold  yer  head  up  straight,  .  .  .  Sarah 
Maud,  don't  take  yer  eyes  off  o'  Larry,  'n'  Larry 
you  keep  holt  o'  Sarah  Maud  'n'  do  jest  as  she 
says, --'n'  whatever  you  do,  all  of  yer,  never 
forgit  for  one  second  that  yer  mother  was  a 
McGrill!" 


VI 


WHEN   THE   PIE  WAS   OPENED, 
THE  BIRDS   BEGAN   TO   SING!" 

HE  children  went  out  of  the  back 
door  quietly,  and  were  presently 
lost  to  sight,  Sarah  Maud  slip- 
ping and  stumbling  along  absent- 
mindedly,  as  she  recited  rapidly 
under  her  breath,  u  Itwassucha 
pleasantevenin'n'suchashortwalk, 
thatwethoughtwe'dleaveourhatstohome.  Itwas 
such  a  pleasante  venin  V  such  a  short  walk,  that  we 
thoughtwe'dleaveourhatstohome." 

Peter  rang  the  door-bell,  and  presently  a  ser- 
vant admitted  them,  and,  whispering  something 
in  Sarah's  ear,  drew  her  downstairs  into  the 
kitchen.  The  other  Ruggleses  stood  in  horror- 
stricken  groups  as  the  door  closed  behind  their 

68 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

commanding  officer ;  but  there  was  no  time  for 
reflection  for  a  voice  from  above  was  heard, 
saying,  "Come  right  upstairs,  please!" 

"  Theirs  not  to  make  reply, 
Theirs  not  to  reason  why, 
Theirs  but  to  do  or  die." 

Accordingly  they  walked  upstairs,  and  El- 
frida,  the  nurse,  ushered  them  into  a  room  more 
splendid  than  anything  they  had  ever  seen. 
But,  oh  woe !  where  was  Sarah  Maud !  and  was 
it  Fate  that  Mrs.  Bird  should  say,  at  once,  "  Did 
you  leave  your  hats  in  the  hall  ?  "  Peter  felt  him- 
self elected  by  circumstance  the  head  of  the 
family,  and,  casting  one  imploring  look  at 
tongue-tied  Susan,  standing  next  him,  said 
huskily,  "It  was  so  very  pleasant  —  that  — 
that  "  -  "  That  we  had  n't  good  hats  enough  to 
go  'round,"  put  in  little  Susan,  bravely,  to  help 
him  out,  and  then  froze  with  horror  that  the 
ill-fated  words  had  slipped  off  her  tongue. 

However,  Mrs.  Bird  said,  pleasantly,  "  Of 

69 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

course  you  wouldn't  wear  hats  such  a  short 
distance,  I  quite  forgot  when  I  asked.  Now  will 
you  come  right  in  to  Miss  Carol's  room?  She  is 
so  anxious  to  see  you." 

Just  then  Sarah  Maud  came  up  the  back 
stairs,  so  radiant  with  joy  from  her  secret  in- 
terview with  the  cook  that  Peter  could  have 
pinched  her  with  a  clear  conscience  ;  and  Carol 
gave  them  a  joyful  welcome.  uBut  where  is 
Baby  Larry?  "  she  cried,  looking  over  the  group 
with  searching  eye.  "  Did  n't  he  come?  " 

"  Larry !  Larry !  "  Good  gracious,  where  was 
Larry?  They  were  all  sure  that  he  had  come  in 
with  them,  for  Susan  remembered  scolding  him 
for  tripping  over  the  door-mat.  Uncle  Jack 
went  into  convulsions  of  laughter.  "Are  you 
sure  there  were  nine  of  you  when  you  left  home  ? ' ' 
he  asked,  merrily. 

"I  think  so,  sir,"  said  Peoria,  timidly;  "but 
anyhow,  there  was  Larry;  "  and  she  showed  signs 
of  weeping. 

— A*^^ 

70 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  Oh,  well,  cheer  up !  "  cried  Uncle  Jack. 
" Probably  he's  not  lost,  only  mislaid.  I'll  go 
and  find  him  before  you  can  say  Jack  Robin- 


son!' 


"I'll  go,  too,  if  you  please,  sir,"  said  Sarah 
Maud,  "  for  it  was  my  place  to  mind  him,  an7  if 
he  's  lost  I  can't  relish  my  vittles ! ' 

The  other  Ruggleses  stood  rooted  to  the  floor. 
Was  this  a  dinner-party,  forsooth;  and  if  so, 
why  were  such  things  ever  spoken  of  as  festive 
occasions  ? 

Sarah  Maud  went  out  through  the  hall,  call- 
ing, "  Larry !  Larry !  "  and  without  any  interval 
of  suspense  a  thin  voice  piped  up  from  below, 
"Here  I  be!" 

The  truth  was  that  Larry,  being  deserted  by 
his  natural  guardian,  dropped  behind  the  rest, 
and  wriggled  into  the  hat-tree  to  wait  for  her, 
having  no  notion  of  walking  unprotected  into 
the  jaws  of  a  fashionable  entertainment.  Find- 
ing that  she  did  not  come,  he  tried  to  crawl 

71 


Jl  THE  BIRDS'  CHKISTMAS  CAROL 

from  his  refuge  and  call  somebody,  when, 
dark  and  dreadful  ending  to  a  tragic  day,  he 
four'1  that  he  was  too  much  intertwined  with 
umbrellas  and  canes  to  move  a  single  step.  He 


was  afraid  to  yell  -  -  when  I  have  said  this  of 
Larry  Ruggles  I  have  pictured  a  state  of  help- 
less terror  that  ought  to  wring  tears  from  every 
eye  —  and  the  sound  of  Sarah  Maud's  beloved 
voice,  some  seconds  later,  was  like  a  strain  of 
angel  music  in  his  ears.  Uncle  Jack  dried  his 
tears,  carried  him  upstairs,  and  soon  had  him 

72 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

in  breathless  fits  of  laughter,  while  Carol  so 
made  the  other  Ruggleses  forget  themselves  that 
they  were  presently  talking  like  accomplished 
diners-out. 

Carol's  bed  had  been  moved  into  the  farthest 
corner  of  the  room,  and  she  was  lying  on  the 
outside,  dressed  in  a  wonderful  dressing-gown 
that  looked  like  a  fleecy  cloud.  Her  golden  hair 
fell  in  fluffy  curls  over  her  white  forehead  and 
neck,  her  cheeks  flushed  delicately,  her  eyes 
beamed  with  joy,  and  the  children  told  their 
mother,  afterwards,  that  she  looked  as  beautiful 
as  the  angels  in  the  picture  books. 

There  was  a  great  bustle  behind  a  huge  screen 
in  another  part  of  the  room,  and  at  half  past  five 
this  was  taken  away,  and  the  Christmas  dinner- 
table  stood  revealed.  What  a  wonderful  sight  it 
was  to  the  poor  little  Ruggles  children,  who  ate 
their  sometimes  scanty  meals  on  the  kitchen 
table!  It  blazed  with  tall  colored  candles,  it 
gleamed  with  glass  and  silver,  it  blushed  with 

73 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

flowers,  it  groaned  with  good  things  to  eat ;  so 
it  was  not  strange  that  the  Ruggleses,  forgetting 
altogether  that  their  mother  was  a  McGrill, 
shrieked  in  admiration  of  the  fairy  spectacle. 
But  Larry's  behavior  was  the  most  disgraceful, 
for  he  stood  not  upon  the  order  of  his  going,  but 
went  at  once  for  a  high  chair  that  pointed  un- 
mistakably to  him,  climbed  up  like  a  squirrel, 
gave  a  comprehensive  look  at  the  turkey,  clapped 
his  hands  in  ecstasy,  rested  his  fat  arms  on  the 
table,  and  cried  with  joy,  "  I  beat  the  hull  lot 
o'  yer!  "  Carol  laughed  until  she  cried,  giving 
orders,  meanwhile:  "Uncle  Jack,  please  sit 
at  the  head,  Sarah  Maud  at  the  foot,  and  that 
will  leave  four  on  each  side;  mother  is  going 
to  help  Elfrida,  so  that  the  children  need  not 
look  after  one  another,  but  j  ust  have  a  good  time. ' ' 
A  sprig  of  holly  lay  by  each  plate,  and  noth- 
ing would  do  but  each  little  Ruggles  must  leave 
his  seat  and  have  it  pinned  on  by  Carol,  and  as 
each  course  was  served,  one  of  them  pleaded  to 

74 


THE  BIRDS*  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

take  something  to  her.  There  was  hurrying  to 
and  fro,  I  can  assure  you,  for  it  is  quite  a  dif- 
ficult matter  to  serve  a  Christmas  dinner  on  the 
third  floor  of  a  great  city  house ;  but  if  it  had 
been  necessary  to  carry  every  dish  up  a  rope 
ladder  the  servants  would  gladly  have  done  so. 
There  were  turkey  and  chicken,  with  delicious 
gravy  and  stuffing,  and  there  were  half  a  dozen 
vegetables,  with  cranberry  jelly,  and  celery,  and 
pickles ;  and  as  for  the  way  these  delicacies  were 
served,  the  Kuggleses  never  forgot  it  as  long  as 
they  lived. 

Peter  nudged  Kitty,  who  sat  next  to  him,  and 
said,  "  Look,  will  yer,  ev'ry  feller's  got  his  own 
particular  butter ;  I  s'pose  that 's  to  show  you 
can  eat  that  'n'  no  more.  No,  it  ain't  either, 
for  that  pig  of  a  Peory  's  just  gettin'  another 
helpin'!" 

"Yes,"  whispered  Kitty,  "  an' the  napkins  is 
marked  with  big  red  letters  !  I  wonder  if  that 's 
so  nobody  '11  nip  'em ;  an'  oh,  Peter,  look  at  the 

75 


BIRDS1  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

pictures  stickin'  right  on  ter  the  dishes!  Did 
yer  ever?" 

"The  plums  is  all  took  out  o'  uiy  cramb'ry 
sarse  an'  it 's  friz  to  a  stiff  jell' !  r>  whispered 
Peoria,  in  wild  excitement. 

"Hi  —  yah !  I  got  the  wish-bone ! ' '  sang  Larry, 


regardless  of  Sarah  Maud's  frown ;  after  which 
she  asked  to  have  his  seat  changed,  giving  as 
excuse  that  he  "gen'ally  set  beside  her,  an' 
would  feel  strange"  ;  the  true  reason  being  that 
she  desired  to  kick  him  gently,  under  the  table, 
whenever  he  passed  what  might  be  termed  "  the 
McGrill  line." 

^  «v  _ 

76 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  I  declare  to  goodness,"  murmured  Susan, 
on  the  other  side,  "  there  's  so  much  to  look  at 
I  can't  scarcely  eat  nothin' !  " 

"Bet  yer  life  I  can!  "  said  Peter,  who  had 
kept  one  servant  busily  employed  ever  since  he 
sat  down ;  for,  luckily,  no  one  was  asked  by 
Uncle  Jack  whether  he  would  have  a  second 
helping,  but  the  dishes  were  quietly  passed 
under  their  noses,  and  not  a  single  Euggles  re- 
fused anything  that  was  offered  him,  even  unto 
the  seventh  time. 

Then,  when  Carol  and  Uncle  Jack  perceived 
that  more  turkey  was  a  physical  impossibility, 
the  meats  were  taken  off  and  the  dessert  was 
brought  in,  a  dessert  that  would  have  fright- 
ened a  strong  man  after  such  a  dinner  as  had 
preceded  it.  Not  so  the  Ruggleses,  for  a  strong 
man  is  nothing  to  a  small  boy,  and  they  kin- 
dled to  the  dessert  as  if  the  turkey  had  been  a 
dream  and  the  six  vegetables  an  optical  delu- 
sion. There  were  plum-pudding,  mince-pie,  and 

77 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

ice-cream ;  and  there  were  nuts,  and  raisins, 
and  oranges.  Kitty  chose  ice-cream,  explaining 
that  she  knew  it  "by  sight,  though  she  had  n't 
never  tasted  none  " ;  but  all  the  rest  took  the 
entire  variety,  without  any  regard  to  conse- 
quences. 

"My  dear  child,"  whispered  Uncle  Jack,  as 
he  took  Carol  an  orange,  "there  is  no  doubt 
about  the  necessity  of  this  feast,  but  I  do  advise 
you  after  this  to  have  them  twice  a  year,  or 
quarterly  perhaps,  for  the  way  these  children 
eat  is  positively  dangerous ;  I  assure  you  I 
tremble  for  that  terrible  Peoria.  I  'm  going  to 
run  races  with  her  after  dinner." 

"Never  mind,"  laughed  Carol;  "let  them 
have  enough  for  once;  it  does  my  heart  good  to 
see  them,  and  they  shall  come  oftener  next 
year." 

The  feast  being  over,  the  Euggleses  lay  back 
in  their  chairs  languidly,  like  little  gorged  boa- 
constrictors,  and  the  table  was  cleared  in  a  trice. 

78 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

Then  a  door  was  opened  into  the  next  room, 
and  there,  in  a  corner  facing  Carol's  bed,  which 
had  been  wheeled  as  close  as  possible,  stood 
the  brilliantly  lighted  Christmas  tree,  glittering 
with  gilded  walnuts  and  tiny  silver  balloons, 
and  wreathed  with  snowy  chains  of  pop-corn. 
The  presents  had  been  bought  mostly  with 
Carol's  story-money,  and  were  selected  after 
long  consultations  with  Mrs.  Bird.  Each  girl 
had  a  blue  knitted  hood,  and  each  boy  a  red 
crocheted  comforter,  all  made  by  Mrs.  Bird,  Carol, 
and  Elfrida.  ("Because  if  you  buy  everything, 
it  doesn't  show  so  much  love,"  said  Carol.) 
Then  every  girl  had  a  pretty  plaid  dress  of  a 
different  color,  and  every  boy  a  warm  coat  of 
the  right  size.  Here  the  useful  presents  stopped, 
and  they  were  quite  enough;  but  Carol  had 
pleaded  to  give  them  something  "for  fun."  "I 
know  they  need  the  clothes,"  she  had  said, 
when  they  were  talking  over  the  matter  just 
after  Thanksgiving,  "  but  they  don't  care  much 

79 


BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

for  them,  after  all.  Now,  father,  won't  youplease 
let  me  go  without  part  of  my  presents  this  year, 
and  give  me  the  money  they  would  cost,  to  buy 
something  to  amuse  the  Ruggleses? " 

' '  You  can  have  both,  "said  Mr.  Bird,  promptly ; 
"  is  there  any  need  of  my  little  girl's  going  with- 
out her  own  Christmas,  I  should  like  to  know  ? 
Spend  all  the  money  you  like.77 

"But  that  isn't  the  thing,"  objected  Carol, 
nestling  close  to  her  father;  "it  wouldn't  be 
mine.  What  is  the  use  ?  Have  n't  I  almost  every- 
thing already,  and  am  I  not  the  happiest  girl 
in  the  world  this  year,  with  Uncle  Jack  and 
Donald  at  home?  You  know  very  well  it  is  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive ;  so  why  won't 
you  let  me  do  it  ?  You  never  look  half  as  happy 
when  you  are  getting  your  presents  as  when 
you  are  giving  us  ours.  Now,  father,  submit,  or 
I  shall  have  to  be  very  firm  and  disagreeable 
with  you!  r 

"Very  well,  your  Highness,  1  surrender." 

80 


THE  BIRDS*  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  That 's  a  dear !  Now  what  were  you  going 
to  give  me  ?  Confess  !  " 

"  A  bronze  figure  of  Santa  Glaus;  and  in  the 
'  little  round  belly  that  shakes  when  he  laughs 
like  a  bowlful  of  jelly/  is  a  wonderful  clock;  oh, 
you  would  never  give  it  up  if  you  could  see  it ! ' 

' '  Nonsense, ' '  laughed  Carol ;  "  as '  I  never  get 
up  to  breakfast,  nor  go  to  bed,  nor  catch  trains, 
I  think  my  old  clock  will  do  very  well !  NOWT, 
mother,  what  were  you  going  to  give  me?" 

"  Oh,  I  had  n't  decided.  A  few  more  books, 
and  a  gold  thimble,  and  a  smelling-bottle,  and 
a  music-box,  perhaps." 

"  Poor  Carol/'  laughed  the  child,  merrily,  "  she 
can  afford  to  give  up  these  lovely  things,  for 
there  will  still  be  left  Uncle  Jack,  and  Donald, 
and  Paul,  and  Hugh  and  Uncle  Rob,  and  Aunt 
Elsie,  and  a  dozen  other  people  to  fill  her  Christ- 
mas stocking!  " 

So  Carol  had  her  way,  as  she  generally  did ; 
but  it  was  usually  a  good  way,  which  was  fortu- 

81 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

nate  under  the  circumstances  ;  and  Sarah  Maud 
had  a  set  of  Miss  Alcott's  books,  and  Peter  a 

modest  silver  watch,  Cor- 
nelius a  tool-chest,  Clement 
a  dog-house  for  his  lame 
puppy,  Larry  a  magnificent 
Noah's  ark,  and  each  of  the 
younger  girls  a  beautiful 
doll. 

You  can  well  believe 
that  everybody  was  very 
merry  and  very  thankful. 
All  the  family,  from  Mr. 
Bird  down  to  the  cook, 
said  that  they  had  never  seen  so  much  happi- 
ness in  the  space  of  three  hours ;  but  it  had  to 
end,  as  all  things  do.  The  candles  flickered  and 
went  out,  the  tree  was  left  alone  with  its  gilded 
ornaments,  and  Mrs.  Bird  sent  the  children 
downstairs  at  half  past  eight,  thinking  that 
Carol  looked  tired. 

82 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

"  Now,  my  darling,  you  have  done  quite 
enough  for  one  day,"  said  Mrs.  Bird,  getting  Carol 
into  her  nightgown.  "  I  'm  afraid  you  will  feel 
worse  to-morrow,  and  that  would  be  a  sad  end- 
ing to  such  a  charming  evening." 

"  Oh,  wasn't  it  a  lovely,  lovely  time,"  sighed 
Carol.  "From  first  to  last,  everything  was  just 
right.  I  shall  never  forget  Larry's  face  when  he 
looked  at  the  turkey ;  nor  Peter's  when  he  saw 
his  watch ;  nor  that  sweet,  sweet  Kitty's  smile 
when  she  kissed  her  dolly  ;  nor  the  tears  in  poor, 
dull  Sarah  Maud's  eyes  when  she  thanked  me 
for  her  books;  nor- 

"But  we  mustn't  talk  any  longer  about  it 
to-night,"  said  Mrs.  Bird,  anxiously;  "you  are 
too  tired,  dear." 

"  I  am  not  tired,  mother.  I  have  felt  well  all 
day ;  not  a  bit  of  pain  anywhere.  Perhaps  this 
has  done  me  good." 

"  Perhaps ;  I  hope  so.  There  was  no  noise  or 
confusion;  it  was  just  a  merry  time.  Now,  may 

83 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

I  close  the  door  and  leave  you  alone,  dear?  Fa- 
ther and  I  will  steal  in  softly  by  and  by  to  see  if 
you  are  all  right ;  but  I  think  you  need  to  be 
very  quiet.7' 

"  Oh,  I  'm  willing  to  stay  by  myself ;  but  I  am 
not  sleepy  yet,  and  I  am  going  to  hear  the  music, 
you  know." 

"  Yes,  I  have  opened  the  window  a  little,  and 
put  the  screen  in  front  of  it,  so  that  you  won't 
feel  the  air." 

"Can  I  have  the  shutters  open?  and  won't 
you  turn  my  bed,  please  ?  This  morning  I  woke 
ever  so  early,  and  one  bright,  beautiful  star 
shone  in  that  eastern  window.  I  never  noticed 
it  before,  and  I  thought  of  the  Star  in  the  East, 
that  guided  the  wTise  men  to  the  place  where 
the  baby  Jesus  was  born.  Good-night,  mother. 
Such  a  happy,  happy  day!" 

"  Good-night,  my  precious  Christmas  Carol  — 
mother's  blessed  Christmas  child." 

"Bend  your  head  a  minute,  before  you  go," 

84 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  C 

whispered  Carol.  "Mother,  dear,  I  do  think  that 
we  have  kept  Christ's  birthday  this  time  just  as 
He  would  like  it.  Don't  you?" 

"I  am  sure  of  it,"  said  Mrs.  Bird,  softly. 


VII 


THE   BIRDLING   FLIES   AWAY 

HE  Ruggleses  had  finished  a 
last  romp  in  the  library  with 
Paul  and  Hugh,  and  Uncle 
Jack  had  taken  them  home 
and  stayed  a  while  to  chat 
with  Mrs.  Ruggles,  who 
opened  the  door  for  them, 
her  face  all  aglow  with  excitement  and  delight. 
When  Kitty  and  Clem  showed  her  the  oranges 
and  nuts  that  they  had  kept  for  her,  she  aston- 
ished them  by  saying  that  at  six  o'clock  Mrs. 
Bird  had  sent  her  in  the  finest  dinner  she  had 
ever  seen  in  her  life;  and  not  only  that,  but 
a  piece  of  dress-goods  that  must  have  cost  a 
dollar  a  yard  if  it  cost  a  cent. 

As  Uncle  Jack  went  down  the  rickety  steps 

86 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 


he  looked  back  for  a  last  glimpse  of  the  family 

as  the  children   gathered  about  their  mother, 

showing   their   beautiful   presents   again    and 

again,  and  then  upward  to 

a  window  in  the  great  house 

yonder.   "  A  little  child  shall 

lead     them/'    he    thought.  % 

"Well,  if  -  -  if  anything  ever 

happens  to  Carol,  I  will  take 

the    Ruggleses    under    my 

wing." 

"Softly,  Uncle  Jack," 
whispered  the  boys,  as  lie 
walked  into  the  library  a 
while  later.  "We  are  listen- 
ing to  the  music  in  the 
church.  The  choir  has  sung  'Carol,  brothers, 
carol/  and  now  we  think  the  organist  is  begin- 
ning to  play  'My  ain  countree'  for  Carol.17 

"I  hope  she  hears  it,"  said  Mrs.  Bird;  "but 

87 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

they  are  very  late  to-night,  and  I  dare  not  speak 
to  her  lest  she  should  be  asleep.  It  is  almost 
ten  o'clock." 

The  boy  soprano,  clad  in  white  surplice, 
stood  in  the  organ  loft.  The  light  shone  full 
upon  his  crown  of  fair  hair,  and  his  pale  face, 
with  its  serious  blue  eyes,  looked  paler  than 
usual.  Perhaps  it  was  something  in  the  tender 
thrill  of  the  voice,  or  in  the  sweet  words,  but 
there  were  tears  in  many  eyes  both  in  the 
church  and  in  the  great  house  next  door. 

"  I  am  far  frae  my  hame, 

I  am  weary  aften  whiles 
For  the  langed-for  hame-bringin', 

An'  my  Faether's  welcome  smiles ; 
An'  I  '11  ne'er  be  fu'  content, 

Until  my  e'en  do  see 
The  gowden  gates  o'  heaven 

In  my  ain  countree. 

"  The  earth  is  decked  wi'  flow'rs, 
Mony  tinted,  fresh  an'  gay, 
An'  the  birdies  warble  blythely, 
For  my  Faether  made  them  sae  ; 

88 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

But  these  sights  an'  these  soun's 
Will  as  nae  thing  be  to  me, 

When  I  hear  the  angels  singin' 
In  my  aiu  countree. 

*'  Like  a  bairn  to  its  mither, 

A  wee  birdie  to  its  nest, 
I  fain  would  be  gangin'  noo 

Unto  my  Faether's  breast 
For  he  gathers  in  His  arms 

Helpless,  worthless  lambs  like  me, 
An'  carries  them  Himsel' 

To  his  ain  countree." 


There  were  tears  in  many  eyes,  but  not  in 
Carol's.  The  loving  heart  had  quietly  ceased  to 
beat,  and  the  "  wee  birdie'7  in  the  great  house 
had  flown  to  its  "  home  nest."  Carol  had  fallen 
asleep  !  But  as  to  the  song,  I  think  perhaps,  I 
cannot  say,  she  heard  it  after  all! 

So  sad  an  ending  to  a  happy  day  !  Perhaps, 
to  those  who  were  left  ;  and  yet  Carol's  mother, 
even  in  the  freshness  of  her  grief,  was  glad  that 
her  beloved  child  had  slipped  away  on  the 

89 


THE  BIRDS*  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

brightest  day  of  her  life,  out  of  its  glad  content, 
into  everlasting  peace. 

She  was  glad  that  she  had  gone  as  she  had 
come,  on  the  wings  of  song,  when  all  the  world 
was  brimming  over  with  joy ;  glad  of  every  grate- 
ful smile,  of  every  joyous  burst  of  laughter,  of 
every  loving  thought  and  word  and  deed  the 
dear  last  day  had  brought. 

Sadness  reigned,  it  is  true,  in  the  little  house 
behind  the  garden ;  and  one  day  poor  Sarah 
Maud,  with  a  courage  born  of  despair,  threw  on 
her  hood  and  shawl,  walked  straight  to  a  certain 
house  a  mile  away,  up  the  marble  steps  into 
good  Dr.  Bai'tol's  office,  falling  at  his  feet  as  she 
cried,  "  Oh,  sir,  it  was  me  an'  our  children  that 
went  to  Miss  Carol's  last  dinner-party,  an'  if 
we  made  her  worse  we  can't  never  be  happy 
again !  "  Then  the  kind  old  gentleman  took  her 
rough  hand  in  his  and  told  her  to  dry  her  tears, 
for  neither  she  nor  any  of  her  flock  had  hastened 
Carol's  flight ;  indeed,  he  said  that  had  it  not 

90 


THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  CAROL 

been  for  the  strong  hopes  and  wishes  that  filled 
her  tired  heart,  she  could  not  have  stayed  long 
enough  to  keep  that  last  merry  Christinas  with 
her  dear  ones. 

And  so  the  old  years,  fraught  with  memories, 
die,  one  after  another,  and  the  new  years,  bright 
with  hopes,  are  born  to  take  their  places ;  but 
Carol  lives  again  in  every  chime  of  Christmas 
bells  that  peal  glad  tidings,  and  in  every  Christ- 
mas anthem  sung  by  childish  voices. 


THE    END 


ftiteitfibe 

CAMBRIDGE  .  MASSACHUSETTS 
U    •    S    .    A 


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